Can Xisco prove his worth at Newcastle?
Posted on July 27th, 2010 | 128 Comments |
It’s a match made from necessity rather than perhaps a match made in heaven, but now he is back from his season-long exile in Spain, can he make a good fist of it in the North East this season and prove his worth to Newcastle?
The former Spanish under-21 international played in last weekends pre-season friendly at Norwich and impressed despite the defeat.
Having said that, it’s easy to impress when there are no expectations I guess. He did give Shola Ameobi a massive hand for what was our equalising goal, and he played on the right hand side of midfield, something he is happy to do in the forthcoming season for Newcastle United. In fact he says he would be happy to play anywhere for Newcastle.
“If I have to play in other positions for the team, then I will,” Xisco told The Journal. “If the manager wants me to play on the left or the right, I can. All you have to do is do the best for the team. At Norwich, I played right wing, but most importantly it’s about getting fit for the new season.
It seems that Xisco has learned something since he has been away then, and that show of commitment is a far cry from his last stint on Tyneside where he feigned injury to avoid training, if I remember correctly. That is unexcusable in my book, but then on the other hand doesn’t everyone deserve a second chance?
Let’s look at things in perspective though. It was hardly the vibrant time to be coming to Newcastle, and combined with the fact that he got tied up in the whole Keegan affair, plus all the turmoil surrounding the club at the time, then perhaps you can see just how tough things may have been for a young man who had just moved to a new country, a new culture, a new way of life.
This is a different Newcastle though, a Newcastle that may not be as exciting for the press as the one of two years ago. There is very little turbulence around the club right now, well there is still some but compared to what it was like back then we are now sailing in infinitely calmer waters.
Perhaps Xisco can use these calmer waters to show us what he is made of? The guy cost £5.7 million and has the same goalscoring record as Fernando Torres at under-21 level. Perhaps now is the time to show that Torres isn’t the only player capable of bigger and better things? Time will tell on that, and he has three years left on his contract to prove it.
“I’m happy to be back – I’ve got three years’ contract here, and I’m looking forward to them. When I came to Newcastle United, it was a big opportunity for me in my career.
“Last season I was on loan in Spain because I needed to go back home for a year because of what was happening here. Now I’m back and happy. I’m very hopeful of staying at Newcastle and helping the team do whatever I can.”
Having Xisco back is almost like having a new signing. Ultimately he has fallen on another chance at Newcastle, and he will have my backing whenever he puts the black and white shirt on.
It’s up to him prove people wrong.
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
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