Christian Atsu helped us survive in the Premier League last season and he missed final six games of the season with an injury.
His knee has been troubling him for three years now and the surgery he had was to remove part of the fat pad in his knee.
Once the winger recovers (usually takes three to four months) he should be 100% and will not need special training and injections to play: that’s been the case over the last two years on Tyneside.
Christian Atsu – arriving for the Newcastle vs Liverpool game
Christian, as usual, is upbeat and he said this on nufcTV in an exclusive:
“It’s been three weeks now since I did my surgery and I’ve been working on my recovery.”
“I’ve been doing gym work and I’m feeling better and getting stronger each and every day.”
“I had a problem with my fat pad where parts of it were touching the other parts of my knee and they had to take part of the fat pad away.”
“The doctor said that everything was successful.”
“The recovery will take three to four months, but he also said everything will depend on how I’m feeling.”
“I had the injury for three years and I was playing with it, but I thought to myself: ‘This is the right time to solve this problem.’”
“I want to be better when I’m playing and to be pain-free too. So I’m very happy that at least I have the chance to solve it.”
“Over the last few weeks I’ve been recovering faster than I expected. I’ve started running on the anti-gravity treadmill.”
“I’m doing weights on my knee too. So I’m happy that I run with at least 70% of my weight.”
“I’ll keep pushing more every day, but also be careful. The physios are very happy with my progress.”
“I am working with them and the doctor, who is checking my progress and how I am feeling.”
“With their support I think I am recovering really well and I am happy with everything that is going on.”
The 26-year-old is an honest player and a hard worker and the area of his game he has to improve is his final pass.
He has speed and skill and if he’s 100% fit next season we look forward to seeing a rejuvenated Christian Atsu playing for Newcastle.
Last season he played 29 games with 2 goals and 2 assists and at Newcastle, over the last two years, he’s played 64 times with 7 goals and 5 assists.
He has 42 caps for Ghana with 9 goals.
Comments welcome.
30 comments so far
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 10:32 AM
Comment #1stestickle
Ha ha 😀
stestickle
May 29, 2018 at 10:40 AM
Comment #2Atsu really needs to lift his game next season squad player at best and not that young
RobLeenio
May 29, 2018 at 10:41 AM
Comment #3Link missing from previous article.
Atsu is a cracking player on his day, can tear a defence to shreds with his pace. Consistency has been difficult for him, but this is possibly explained by a painful chronic knee injury. Hopefully he comes back better than ever next season.
Tosun A. Wobbler
May 29, 2018 at 10:43 AM
Comment #4I wonder who Christian’s surgeon was, I’ve got a good few fat pads I’d like removed from my body!!
Aces-of-Eights
May 29, 2018 at 10:57 AM
Comment #5Jib and Tsunki are bad as each other. Theyre made for each other I think they should get married. We could have our own royal wedding. Jane can be bridesmaid. Everyone else can be best men. Congrats Jib the dweeb and Tsunki.
Anyways this summer should have been straight forward but Ashley will fk anything up like always.
jazzyp
May 29, 2018 at 11:02 AM
Comment #6Aces.
Jibs been a nuisance on here for many year pal.
And that’s being polite
Dagwoodz
May 29, 2018 at 11:03 AM
Comment #7Magscar (from a couple of articles previous)
That wasn’t a pointed remark to you. Apologies if it came across that way. But there are others on here, and on other sites that have that attitude that if you aren’t from Newcastle, or don’t/can’t get to the games, it makes you a lesser supporter.
Born and raised in Connecticut, I’ve been a New England Patriots fan/supporter since I was old enough to know what I was watching, so about 40 years and suffered through the years of 1-15 seasons. (if you know anything about American football right now, we were the Browns before they were the Browns.) So, I’m enjoying the current success the team is having now and embrace fans from other parts of the country, regardless of whether they started supporting recently or have been a lifelong fan. With that being said, I can definitely appreciate what you’re saying in the statement below:
“Forged in this style makes you a certain kind of fan not a better one just different.”
So while I can appreciate it, I think it’s somewhat detrimental to separate supporters into different “tribes” like that. We’re all supporting the team, in one way or another. Dividing us into different cliques based upon experience and/or location doesn’t accomplish anything but cause issues among a group that should be united.
As an aside, I’m pretty envious of those who are able to attend or live an area where they can support the team with a group of other Toon fans. Not much options out in the ‘stan.
lochinvar
May 29, 2018 at 11:14 AM
Comment #8Difficult to gauge why Mwemba has been second choice to Clark for the back up centre back berths. Is it because Clark when fit is just a more solid physical player better suited to the physicality of the Premiership ? Or has the lad just never settled here and feels that Belgium is more comfortable for him. Clearly Rafa isn’t being sentimental about players. He’s planning a strong fit for purpose squad and top six or better is the target. Only Man City and probably Liverpool are set up for title contenders next season. Spurs are too dependent on Kane so are vunerable and Arsenal and Chelsea are likely to be inconsistent because of upheaval at those clubs. Man Utd will try to buy their success but everyone knows they are beatable and trading off past reputations. Continuing to build fortress SJP for maximum home points and solid defence with pacy counter attacking options for away points could give us quite a season. 5 incoming transfers should make that happen.
Tsunki
May 29, 2018 at 11:33 AM
Comment #9Suggesting that anyone should go out and hit somebody’s barn door with a banjo is a hate crime and should be moderated immediately. 🙂
dig-n-dig22
May 29, 2018 at 11:44 AM
Comment #10Tsunki earlier post.
Sorry if you misunderstood regarding “Sterling” post, I just thought it ironic with all the knife crime about, I see lots of knife and dagger tattoos and the politically correct choose to criticise someone who has an assault rifle tattoo on his leg when firearms are banned anyway.
Aces-of-Eights
May 29, 2018 at 11:44 AM
Comment #11Jazzy I wondered why everyone had a pop at her/him. Now I know why
Tosun A. Wobbler
May 29, 2018 at 11:44 AM
Comment #12To be fair, I think Joselu COULD hit a barn door.
Nicky the ball tosser
May 29, 2018 at 11:49 AM
Comment #13Blimey! I always try to find my bright side, but even I’m struggling to see us seriously challenging the top 6 next season. 7th is potentially on, but 8 to 10 points shy of 6th I think. Leicester, Everton and West Ham will all have similarly realistic aspirations too. We’ll certainly have an improved 11 on paper come August, although football is actually played on grass of course, and in our case against finely tuned opposition desperately trying to thwart us at every turn. My God. I actually can’t wait.
RobLeenio
May 29, 2018 at 11:49 AM
Comment #14Dagwoodz, people have always been pretty tribal when it comes to their football teams, it’s not just a NUFC thing, it’s universal and many fans’ wearing of a club’s colours allows them to feel a part of that tribe. I think generally speaking European football clubs are much more closely located in respect of each other than US-based sports clubs, and are rooted in the community in which they are situated. Therefore, for example, local derbies become more than just games against two clubs but they are about the bragging rights for two halves of a family or colleagues at work or any other social grouping.
There’s also a deep distrust of fans who don’t fit the ‘norm’. I should know, despite having supported the Toon for 35 years, I continually have to ‘justify’ my support as I live in the North East but speak with a ‘Southern’ accent
Hail Wor Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #15Like Merino but to a lesser extent, some forget Atsu was very good for the first 10 games or so. Was our main outlet early season and provided my favourite assist of the season when he casually nutmegged Zabaleta and then laid it on a plate for Diame to get his redemption goal which started his revival.
Hopefully with him back to full health and feeling more confident in his body he will push on.
Also, why whenever we get free-kicks right on the edge of the area is he always overlooked? He scored a very difficult dinked one in the Champ season -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXhzKi8KtE8 – made it look easy, since then he hasn’t taken one, all the more prominent personalities seem to get preference.
Dagwoodz
May 29, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Comment #16RobLeenio @14
Oh, I’m not discounting the fact that there is a vast difference in the sporting culture between the U.S. and Europe just due to the proximity of clubs to one another. There absolutely is a difference. I was more speaking to the tribalization of supporters who support the same club…which you did address in the second half of your post. Unfortunately, what used to be “the norm” is not really “the norm” anymore due to the globalization of the sport.
It’s an interesting topic of discussion to be sure, thankfully most of us aren’t that tribalized that it’s overly contentious. LOL
Toonces
May 29, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Comment #17Hail – we need significant work on free kicks if wanting to strike on goal. If Shelvey is going to be our designated taker of these then he needs to improve his technique. There was a positive sign at the end of the season when his attempt truck the bar but that is the closest he has some to scoring. I remember the Atsu goal that you posted – he just needs to be on the pitch to be an option. Ritchie I think has better technique than Shelvey, but he also needs to work on this aspect of his game as well. Possibly Kenedy should have been allowed a fair crack at these. He seems to have the ability to shape the ball and should be considered for this if he joins us again. But as it stands, this area needs to be improved.
lochinvar
May 29, 2018 at 12:16 PM
Comment #18Hail – thought that as well and surprised that Atsu wasn’t give more free kick chances while Shelvey was often blasting them over. Maybe he didn’t want to stress his knee ?
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:23 PM
Comment #19Tosun,
I’m sure he could too, but not with a football and most definitely not when he has to kick said football….. with his foot!
Optimistic Panda
May 29, 2018 at 12:27 PM
Comment #20I thought jib was married to Jane
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:31 PM
Comment #21There is something most clearly dysfunctional between Jeff and jane.
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:33 PM
Comment #22Shelvey and Atsu both scored worldy free kicks last season, when you’re scoring goals for fun it gives you the confidence to try stuff like that, when you’re scoring as little as we were last season it obviously adds pressure and makes shots like that harder.
Btw, I’m going home today 😀
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:34 PM
Comment #23last season = last year 😮
martoon
May 29, 2018 at 12:35 PM
Comment #24Dagwoodz @7 – I think you maybe referring to one of my posts yesterday. I did post last night that I realise the blog has a large international readership and I wasn’t having a pop at you guys – in fact quite the opposite I give you full respect for such passionate support from so far away. My comments were aimed at posters constantly calling loyal supporters, who don’t want to boycott, sheep etc.
Tosun A. Wobbler
May 29, 2018 at 12:42 PM
Comment #25Jail….that’s it in a nutshell.
RobLeenio
May 29, 2018 at 12:46 PM
Comment #26The best NUFC direct free kick last season was from Henri Saivet vs West Ham in December. He had a good game that day and never got another look in. Another player where another manager may have stuck with him, Rafa must have had his reasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuNFqy0yr94
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Comment #27martoon,
To be fair there’s only a few posters use the sheep label, bladeuser and Jimiley are two, not the most constructive or reasonable pair.
Jail for Ashley
May 29, 2018 at 12:49 PM
Comment #28Atsu’s against Cardiff was made to look so easy you wonder why they can’t just do that every time they get a free kick in that spot. Obviously not that easy.
Bobbybee
May 29, 2018 at 1:15 PM
Comment #29Dagwoodz, it works both ways mate. You need to understand us. We don’t support Newcastle purely to see us win trophies. We support Newcastle for many reasons, but mainly because we’re from here.
People in most other cities support whoever’s winning. Go to Leeds, a city bigger than ours. Or Cardiff – huge. You’ll find shirts of every club everywhere. Manure, Liverpool, City, Chelsea shirts are the norm.
In Newcastle is isn’t. Seeing anything other than black and white stripes is extremely rare.
There are two major clubs in the North East. Us and them. 98% of the population support one or the other. It’s about local pride.
Nowhere else will you find a club that’s won NOTHING for 50 odd years still pulling sell out crowds of 52k. Nowhere. Fact.
We’re fiercely proud of our roots. Even English men don’t understand us, so it takes time.
Example. If London needs yet another lane on it’s motorway, it gets it immediately. The road between Newcastle and Edinburgh is still a single lane road ffs. Only just now are they increasing the M1 between Leeds and us into three lanes.
We’re ignored by a Southern based govt, so we stick together.
So although that might sound odd to someone in a different country, winning is not crucial to supporting Newcastle.
Never heard the song? “We’re gonna win eff all again, we’re gonna win eff all, but we still follow United”.
If it was all about winning, we would have much smaller crowds and you’d see other shirts all over the place.
So, you need to get we’ve basically always been that way. The very idea of giving up going to games is anathema to those 52k people. Win, lose or draw it doesn’t matter to us. We will always turn up. Especially now that hooliganism is gone.
You chose to support us, we were bred into it. Walking away is not an option. We’re loyal to the core.
A lot of people on here don’t go to games. That’s fine, but when people have a dig at those who do, call us sheep and happy clappers, we kinda get annoyed.
We all want to win. When we do there’ll be the biggest party this country has ever seen, but until then this is us. This is what Newcastle fans are. We’ll not stop turning up because other people from around the world want us to, because they demand trophies. If you want glory, you came to the wrong place. If you want loyal and passionate support, the envy of the footballing world, you came to the right place.
We are what we are mate, and we ain’t changing. That’s life.
Essex Geordie Bill
May 29, 2018 at 1:18 PM
Comment #30What’s an anti-gravity treadmill?