Does Steven Taylor deserve to be starting?

Posted on November 18th, 2010 | 56 Comments |

Taylor: Return imminent?
Taylor: Return imminent?
Steven Taylor spoke yesterday about being patient in his attempts to force his way back into the first team fold at Newcastle United.

Steven made him comeback from injury on Tuesday in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester City. He got through the full 90 minutes in the 1-0 victory and paired up with Sol Cambell in the heart of defence.

This is following an injury set back the defender suffered during a pre-season fixture against Carlisle. Steven hasn’t a played a competitive game of football in 10 months. His last game with the first team was during a Championship fixture against West Bromwich Albion last season.

Steven seems to feel better for the run out and is seemingly ready to step in if selected for first team action. He spoke to The Chronicle after the match;

“It seems a long time ago since I last played 90 minutes. Fitness-wise, I am feeling great. I am just waiting for a chance, really.”

“I have 90 minutes under my belt, and it is in the bank now. I was working hard doing three sessions a day in the gym. The medical staff have worked me hard, and I feel great.”

The defender certainly feels he’s ready to be thrown into action. Luckily he seems aware that he can’t just walk back into the team. He continued;

“All you can do is be patient and wait for your chance – if the gaffer picks you you have to try to take your chance. I just have to see what happens.”

“It is horrible – there is nothing worse than sitting in the stand and watching as a footballer. You need to be out there – being in the stand or on the bench is not where you want to be. You just have to get on with it.”

Steven has got a fight on his hands when it comes to selection. Both Mike Williamson and Fabricio Coloccini have been outstanding this season. Taylor has also been used at right back before- I remember when he played there against Everton and scored in the relegation season. He did well!

Unfortunately for Steven, Danny Simpson has showed solid form in that position as well.

Let us not forget Steven has hardly endeared himself to the Newcastle fans as of late either. He had been in contract negotiations for some time but the club had seemingly got fed up of the player’s reluctance to sign a new deal and as a consequence transfer listed him.

There were lots of rumours doing the rounds that the player was demanding mega bucks to sign a new contract. Whatever his reasoning, if he doesn’t have a change of heart soon, it looks as if he will leave the club as his current contract has nearly expired.

Steven is a great player in my opinion, but even if he penned a new five-year contract I think it would be incredibly unfair to drop anyone at the back at the moment.

I know Newcastle fans have mixed views on Steven, but where would Steven Taylor fit in with you?

Would you start him?

NUFCBlog Author: MarkToon MarkToon has written 10 articles on this blog.

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56 Responses

  1. I’d introduce Steven slowly back into the team. I’d start by bringing him on at half time for Williamson and maybe alternate him after that with other defensive positions in other games so that other players get rested. Particularly when we are playing midweek and weekend games. Thanks for the articles you are writing Mark, they are always a good read. Cheers, Jilly Bean

  2. I have mixed feelings as I am sure most would. Firstly we dont know really what is going on behind the scenes so it’s tough. I dont know what he is on but he may be asking to go up and thats no longer something we pay our players when signing new contracts or they may want him to stay the same or go down in pay. Who knows. With his injuries of late he is not in a really strong position to negotiate and should not be demanding a huge amount given that he himself should know he has missed almost a season and his replacement is able. He lacks the bargaining power in all but two respects. He is capable and he is local. Is that enough?

  3. I don,t know about anyone else but I,m receiving conflicting signals from the Saylor. Could he be only wanting his place back to put himself in the shop window, which seems the more likely, or does he genuinly want his place back. Therefore why won,t he sign a contract..? A bit of a mystery..!Hmmm.
    With the back four playing so well at the moment,he obviously realises that it won,t be easy to make his mark unless we have a catastrophic injury crisis so to my thinking, we won,t sort this out until he is once more settled with a new contract.

  5. It depends on whether he really wants to stay with us . Something fishy aboot the whole thing re his contract. Doea he want to play for us or not or is he off to the Spuds in Jan ? I think he has to earn his place in the Team by working hard and wait his opportunity if injury affects the back 4 but we have Kadar and Sol as well.
    Methinks his time is numbered now as the team has moved on and he isnt the messiah everyone thought he was a year or so ago

  6. I hope he stays, but no he shouldn’t be playing purely because of the act that none of the back four deserves to be dropped.

  7. NOPE!!
    Defo not.
    Sign your contract and put yourself up for consideration. Dont sign it ans stay in reserves until you F*ck Off!! No space for sentiment here greedy boy!

  10. Jill says:
    November 18, 2010 at 6:44 am

    “I’d introduce Steven slowly back into the team. I’d start by bringing him on at half time for Williamson”

    ARRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

    Seriously? What team does that? He isn’t Paolo Mal-f’kin-dini, no one ‘deserves’ to be in the starting 11, they have to prove their worth, Willo and Collo have done that.

    Every man and his dog will say that for a defence to be a good, tight, effective unit they need continuity, they need to play together on a regular basis and not to be broken up. So where the logic of ‘introducing Saylor at half time’ comes from i’ve got no idea. Just look at the state of Chelsea’s make shift defence against the makems, torn apart.

    It was only a matter of years ago (in fact someone said it on sky or MOTD after we beat Arsenal that ‘you dont often mention Newcastle and defensive and organised in the same sentence) we were ridiculed for being pathetic defensively. And now, when we are the most organised and defensive I can remember us ever being and people are advocating sticking Saylor straight in and breaking up our back line? For what reason?

    Boils my piss this issue, he gets in when he deserves to get in! And right now, he has to wait his turn, like any other player!

  11. I’d say he’s probably behind Sol for a centre back position. He might get in ahead of Perch at right back, tho.

  12. He is as good as williamson but mike is currently in posession sowe can give him a chance if mike does something silly. colo is #1 center half and full backs i think are assured of their places.

  17. Hughton should only play him if Willo or Collo get injured or lose their form. Our current defence is good especially now that Simpson is back and playing well.

    Currently Taylor doesn’t hold many cards. He will have to wait his turn or leave and take a risk elsewhere like Given. Big money but no cert for a starting eleven.

  19. No, quite simply. Williamson and Coloccini are better players in better form. Saylor is currently fourth choice behind those two and Campbell, and I would be tempted to play Kadar ahead of Saylor as well.

  20. IMO Williamson is being made to look better than he is because of Coloccini, He has made mistakes this season that Taylor would have been hammered for.

    If Taylor had centre halves the quality of Colo and Campbell talking him through matches week in week out instead of Bramble, Boumsong, Ramage and Cacapa then he would have played last night with big Andy…

  22. Hey Porciestreet, I’m in Larnaca fella, use to be Mesoyi, Paphos but moved :) way better over this side of the island.. lol ;)

    As to Saylor, if he doesn’t sign his new contract, then he’s not as committed to the Toon as the other CB we have, so no contract, no play… I can bet he’ll be signing a contract in Jan but it won’t be for us, it’ll be a pre-agreement with the Toffee’s or Spurts me thinks.. :(

  23. OT – I see Capello has already selected Big Lad for the England freindly in March next year, as he says & I quote –

    “Andy Carroll’s a really good player – he’ll be a really interesting player,” said Capello.

    “He’s a fighter, but he also has quality. I’m really happy with his performance. He’ll be in the next squad because he’s one of the most interesting players, not just in England, but also in Europe.”

    Looks like we’re back boys, a steadfast England starter, just like when wor Shearer was playing.. :)

  32. If he still hasn’t signed a new contract sell him in Jan or see if we can swop him for Krancjar with Spurs. He is someone who can actually play football and would deliver crosses for Carroll and score goals himself.

    S.Taylor, Campbell, Best, Xisco should all remain in the reserves IMO UNTIL one of the centrehalves is injured or suspended and then the best performer comes in match fit in their place. That is the only fair way to do it. Likewise Xisco and Best should be scoring regularly at reserve level before their brought in, and if they can’t score for our reserves they shouldn’t be here full stop.

  34. DJG – Completely agree mate, but I think Saylor can sign a pre-contract agreement in Jan mate, so we’ll not get owt for him, so looks like thats what he’s looking at doing because someone will pay him more dosh on a freebie.. :(

  38. DJG…I suspect batty’s canny at working oot percentages, odds etc :lol:
    I think jay jay is the one who keeps voting for 0-3 even tho we have 4 so far this month ;-) ….bullying jay jay, nae idea what your talking about :-)

  39. Can’t see him staying…he needs to get back to his geordie roots (in London) :lol:
    Bit of a prima donna and don’t think I would miss him too much when he is gone. Should have been sold a while ago rather than be allowed to wind down his contract and go on a free.

  42. Think he is a better player than williamson but can’t see him getting back into the team until there is an injury or suspension as neither colo or williamson deserve to be dropped.

  43. lads if u wont a laugh!! have a look at ronaldos goal against spain..nani heads it in on the line when he has scored the goal of the season..dont think he will talk 2 nani again..

  44. IMHO, CH fields the best men he has available. At this moment, WIllo & Colo bring more to the game than Saylor does in CH’s book. Let’s face it, CH has a job to do and he will do it with his best set of tools. If he does not, he will be seeking new employers. Taylor gets in when he is better, or the next best choice when someone is injured.

    Meanwhile, IF NUFC were vindictive, maybe they loan Saylor out to shite team where he will struggle to show value & will get less of a contract if he lets his NUFC contract expire.

  45. We need to re-sign this bloke sharpish, if only to get some dosh for him in January. If he won’t sign up for a reasonable salary, don’t play him and let him go.

    BUT we must remember that CBs get injured a lot, and right now we have Sol, who isn’t going to be able to provide continuous, 90-minute cover should Collo or Willo go out for a few weeks. We have Kadar, a favourite of mine but still very young and inexperienced for this position. Saylor, like it or not, is really our only experienced, senior cover for both CB positions, and is probably ahead of Perch and Raylor for RB too.

    I just wish we knew the truth about the contract. :(

  46. Being totally businesslike about it, Saylor is probably worth upwards of £6m. Or naff-all as things stand. If Ashley is playing hardball over salaries, then good on him – it’s about time someone did in this place.
    Of course, it could be that the club is at fault, but given Saylor’s agent is a well-known excuse for a human and a waste of carbon emissions, I have my doubts!
    Come on Stevie – sign up, fight for your place and remind us why we need you here.

  48. sirjasontoon says:
    November 18, 2010 at 11:16 am
    Can’t see him staying…he needs to get back to his geordie roots (in London<<<< howay man both his parents are geordies and didnt he move up here at 2 weeks old

  51. I wouldn’t mind steven getting a run out over Williamson just to give hime the work and see what he can bring to this year’s squad. But can’t say I’d be bothered if he didn’t. The contract situation and all of the injuries have me feeling rather so-so about the lad.

  52. Off topic but did anyone see Carroll asking Lescott to guard his run on a corner last night, looks like Lescott told him to f off and to sort his own run out.
    he’ll have to learn that in Englands case thier does seem to be an I in tieam – tossers

  53. fourfouroneone – I did see that rather short conversation. Lescott’s in no position to be disrespecting Carroll, who is far more likely to be called up for the next match than him.

    That’s down to Capello, though. These players should be enthusiastic about such things, not treating them as some sort of cock-comparing competition.

    As you so eloquently say: tossers.

  54. Thing is if he gets a few games, plays well for us then his profile and value go up. Id say ship him out if possible, use the money wisely as was the case over the summer. Have only herd bad of him in the past year or so.

  55. funny about tayls becuase i always thought he cale across as a down to earth kinda lad, but the have been alot of horror stories about his attitude!
    he shoots, he misses, he’ll shag your f****in* missus, stevie taylor