What is Nile Ranger’s first team future?

Posted on January 18th, 2011 | 42 Comments |

Nile Ranger, Newcastle United
First team future?
Nile Ranger scored a hat-trick for the reserves yesterday, but where does he stand in the pecking order of Newcastle United strikers?

I can’t help but think that Ranger is sliding down the list of strikers as far as Alan Pardew is concerned.

Given that Andy Carroll is our number one striker, it seems that Shola Ameobi, Peter Lovenkrands and Leon Best are all likely to be picked ahead of Ranger, with Best’s ranking undoubtedly helped by his hat-trick against West Ham.

And what about Xisco? We paid £5.7m for him and I can’t remember seeing him since he came on as a sub during the 6-0 thrashing of Villa. I suspect that Ranger is at least ahead of him in the pecking order.

But it may even be worse than that for Ranger because there’s always the option of pushing someone like Nolan or Ben Arfa up to support a striker, which could drop Ranger even further down the list.

And then of course there’s the rumours that we might be looking to sign another striker.

So where does this leave Nile Ranger in terms of his first team status?

Peter Beardsley was singing Ranger’s praises after the reserve game, during which we beat Wigan 5-1:

“That’s what the boy is about – we know he can score goals.

“Sometimes he needs to work harder, but when you’re a goalscorer that’s what you are known for. And when all our punters look at the stats they will see he scored three goals and will be delighted.

“His second one in particular was outstanding. The first was great skill to do what he did, but for me the second was outstanding.

“If I’m being really honest it probably surprised me. When he ran away from their player that was never in doubt, but the way he dummied, stepped inside the player and bent it in the far post was great skill.

“We obviously know he’s going to be good, but he’s still a kid.

“In real terms and in terms of football he is still a kid. He hasn’t played more than 100 games yet.

“We hope he can go a long way, but he knows it’s a long road.

“Through no fault of his own he’s almost moved down the pecking order a bit – Besty’s scored a hat-trick, then you’ve got Peter Lovenkrands, Shola and hopefully Andy isn’t too far away from being fit.

“However, if he is prepared to listen and learn then he has a very bright future.”

Is Nile Ranger still ‘one for the future’? Will he get a proper chance in the first team anytime soon?

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

Related Posts:

Posted on by Hugh de Payen in category: Alan Pardew and Andy Carroll and Hatem Ben Arfa and Hugh de Payen and Kevin Nolan and Leon Best and Nile Ranger and Peter Beardsley and Peter Lovenkrands and Shola Ameobi and Thoughts and reflections and Xisco , with tags: ,
Comment on this post

42 Responses

  1. the lad needs a chance, according to Beardsley the guy is gonna be a star, i think he needs more time

  2. I suspect Ranger is one who is feeling the departure of Hughton more keenly than some others. Hughton had a knack of getting the best out of the “difficult” players. Maybe it was the way he spoke to them but Carroll and Barton have improved their attitude enormously and Ranger seemed finally on the right path. However it seems that without Hughton’s guidance, Ranger has once again fallen short of the standards of professionalism expected, if reports are true. I hope he doesn’t waste the huge talent that we have seen in glimpses.

  4. Shrewd move by Pardew bringing Ranger back down to earth and clipping his wings, he is similar to Carroll in that there is definate potential there but the self destruct element needs to be carefully removed.

  5. All he’ll need is for Best and Shola to have a few bad games, Nile will get his chance – BUT HE HAS TO TAKE IT !

    He missed that sitter against West Ham – that probably didnt help his cause. If he had taken that chance and some others when he has come on then I think he would have featured more recently.

    My worry is the Pardew isnt giving him a chance, but then why would he if Nile isnt taking them.

  7. Might be a good move for Nile to spend the rest of a season with a Championship club or a club chasing promotion in League 1.
    A pal o mine is a Brighton fanatic He works there and has met Lua Lua several times.
    Apart from being “one of the nicest young lads you can meet” says he, “He has transformed from being good, to very good, to becoming a sensational prospect for the future”.
    Nile needs to play at a higher level than the reserves now.

  8. Ranger has the potential to be another Jenus. By that I mean we are told of how much potential he has and occassionally see but never consistant. Missing sitters wont help his cause either. Pardew remembers Ranger when he coached him previously and I think that there is no love lost between them, Pardew thinks ranger is lazy but talented. I would love to see ranger shine for us but I dont see it I can see him moving on eventually having not achieved much at SJP.

  9. He is a very promising young striker, who has shown more so far than Carroll did at a similar age. He just needs to get the regular starts/game time, and he is only going to get that on loan at the minute. Send him to a Championship club, and let him play regularly.

  10. As long as when he gets chances he misses sitters, he’ll have to wait.
    Every time he’s got a game or minutes, he’s been wideopen & fluffed his lines.
    It’s all well & good getting hat tricks for the reserves, but popping up in the right place in a prem/cup game then missing is the trademark of a bairn that is not quite ready yet.
    So, haad y’pash!
    ;)

  11. Morning gents

    I think IWCH2 makes a good point…there would deffo be wisdom in sending Ranger out on loan for the remaining part of the season. We’re out of both cups, so it’s limited 1st team, or reserves appearances only for the lad, if he has been knocked back behind Besty and Lover.

    I was on about Xisco the other day on here…what a waste of money that deal has turned out to be. I heard he was on summat like 50k…FFS ! How many appearancers has he made ? There’s one to get off the wage bill as soon as…

    Wish I could get a job like that for doing nowt for a few years !! ;0)

  12. We probably pay less for Xisco, if he doesn’t reach a certain amount of games, hence, him not playing.
    Just a thought ant.
    Wha’d’y’reckon?

  13. Yeah, I tend to agree. Ranger might be better off being loaned out, particularly if Pardew signs another striker.

  14. Clint, I think Xisco’s deal was £5.7m and rising to £7m depending on games played. I think the £5.7m is the minimum we’ll pay, although I could be wrong.

  15. Soz…postman… BTW, he only rang once…

    Clint, that’s probs tru as Hugh says…would explain why he’s gone nowhere…thing is why does he never get a game when he has the credentials to do/be exactly what it is we’re looking for. He seems tidy enough…

  17. I think he needs a loan spell at this rate, but it was the signing of Leon Best that was detrimental to his development in the first place. He has the physical attributes, but he seems to lack technique and certainly composure.

  18. I dunno mate,
    We’ve seen very little of the lad, but he always seems to be around, it’s not like he’s always off to spain(hyem), is it?
    He was sitting with AC on sunda.
    What i have seen of him seems canny enough.
    Go figure!
    :)

  21. Wasn’t Xisco a ‘Wise’ purchase ? The one resulting in KK’s bridge too far ?

    Either way, the wisdom of that outlay/wage just sitting there when we’ve had a canny thin squad in recent years takes the cake…what’s his appearance/goal ratio in the reserves ? Anyone know…?

  22. Haven’t seen the original, Clint…just the Jack N version ages ago now…

    I know the book was originally banned in the 30’s in parts of the U.S. when it came out, though…

  23. I think he’s a year away from being exactly what we need. He’s put in a couple of great shifts for us which have opened up chances for AC to score, but he just doesn’t have that composure yet to finish well himself.

    Pedro’s put it perfectly in the interview. Ranger is a brilliant talent but is young and still needs to learn a bit of humility and to calm his head at critical moments. He’s fantastic to watch and when he wants to work, he gives it his all. I’m just hoping he listens to his bosses and ‘does an Andy’.

  24. Antmanbee. Do you always try to pit a movie reference on your posts?
    Postman rings twice, a bridge too far, and I’m sure you mentioned Bangkok lady boys 3 yesterday or was that the other specialist blog I go on? :-)

  25. I hope AP continues what CH was doing – keeping him on the bench and using him as an impact sub against tired legs. Worked well, even if Nile himself doesn’t tend to find the net.

    Must be a nice problem for AP, having to juggle all these hat-trick scorers!

  26. Right on Whumpie.
    A year or so away from the team.

    ant,
    it ain’t much different really, very saucy/violent for the time.

  27. I thought he changed the game against Liverpool when he came on…he’s got a bright future if he can keep focussed on football…too many distractions these days for lads with a wedge ! ( Wages not haircut ! )

    I do think a rest of season Championship loan where he’d get a dozen to 20 games would do him well for next season.

  28. I think Nile is at least better than Shola Ameobi and Leon Best combined. Peter Lovenkrands fairly gud but not the one I want in my team coz probably he might give us another 2 yrs not more than that. As well we need some striker who is got gud pace somewhat like Bellamy I think Freddie Sears from West Ham fits that bill or Gary Hooper from Celtic.

  30. Micky, no mate it wasn’t intentional…it was serendipity !

    …I just typed in News Now NUFC and ended up on that specialist site, honest ! ;0)

    Bangkok Lady Boys….Lol!

  36. He sounds well pleased to be coming an’ all. Glad for him, and us. Former caretaker himself, like Hughton…

  38. ranger was great against liverpool..his problem is when playing in the first team..that he does all the things great in holding up the ball..winning most things in the air..and making great runs..then he snatches at chances..or is he trying to hard to put the ball in the net..pardew gave him his chance..then blames his attidude in training..so keep your head up and work harder..you are better then all are strikers bar carrol..but if he gets it right..we will have a better player then carrol..becasue he has more pace and better on the ball at his age..

  39. Nile just needs to learn composure,he’s gotta learn that in the lower leagues by scoring a few goals. Possible loan swap deal for one of the southampton wingers maybe..

  41. been having this discussion with one of the guys here. he’s firming in the “loan him out” camp and i’m on the other side of teh fence. both sides, to be fair, have good arguments.
    i think unless we can get a guarantee from a club that he’ll get a certain amount of minutes or start every game written into the loan deal, which i’m not sure we can do, he’s best getting cameo appearances at this level at the moment. he just needs more time on the field