Kuqi monster lined up for Newcastle?

Posted on February 9th, 2011 | 31 Comments |

Shefki Kuqi
Belly flopster.
Shefki Kuqi joins Jermaine Aliadiere and Ewerthon as a potential striking option for Newcastle United.

Finnish striker Shefki Kuqi is the latest free agent to be linked with a short-term contract at Newcastle to provide front line support until the end of the season.

The chunky 6ft 2in, 34 year old striker has done a recent stint with Swansea scoring 5 goals in 20 games for them before being loaned out to Derby County where he picked up 2 goals in 12 games.

He’s also played for Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Crystal Palace, Fulham, TuS Koblenz and a few Finnish teams early on in his career. Kuqi has played for Finland 62 times and has scored 7 goals, although he is not in the Finland squad for their upcoming game against Belgium.

Kuqi’s career totals have him on 147 goals in 512 appearances, which is only a 29% strike rate although at 34 he does undoubtedly have a lot of experience.

Kuqi’s best spell was probably with Crystal Palace, where he was top scorer during the 08/09 season and for the really keen here’s a video of his goals during that spell:

I must confess that the rumours of Newcastle’s interest in Kuqi comes once again from the Daily Mail although I’d like to take this opportunity to strenuously deny that I read that rag in anything other than a blog research capacity.

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.

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31 Responses

  1. Might aswell get Dean Windass. :)

    Kuqi could probably do a job for us but would he really wanna come for half a season, coz thats all it would be surely?

  2. Perhaps Shearer may come out of retirement seing as we are dragging and scratching at the absolute bottom of the barrell.

  4. Well, if wev,e come down to this we are in the do-do. Carefully studdying the vid of his goals, one must come to the conclusion that with the exception of perhaps one, all the goals, some of which look quite good , are the result of defenders making errors or standing off alltogether. My diagnosis, a championship striker at best and lets face it, PL defenders, most of which are internationals, would have an easy time mopping him up.

  5. Eventhough we have no enough body front line but bring someone who’re not good enough is not good idea. If we do that I think we should let our youngster chance to shine in PRM, better choice, isn’t it. If they cannot climb the floor this time, I think at least it will be valuable experience for them. Good for us in the future.

  6. Aye, I agree, we need to blood the youth as opposed to taking on has-beens on inflated wages as a knee jerk reaction. What’s the point of having a reserve side if they are not going to make the intergration with the first team squad at some stage.

  7. I agree with everyone else what is the point? At his best nowhere near good enough now he his way past his best.

  8. I would love to see young Lua Lua get a couple of run outs once he,s fit again. just the sort of thing to scare the crap out of defences until they work out his game. He is so quick and is definately one for the future at NUFC. We can wait as well IMHO as you only have to look at the result against the Gonners to see that we can score goals without this Talismanic CF.
    So long as we persist in this extra special No 9 thing, we will never have a team ethic . Imagine Ranger and Lua-Lua as twin centre forwards, but they HAVE to be given the chances. Once we are finally safe this season, chuck all the kids into the mixer and the cream will come to the top. Trust me.

  9. porciestreet

    Agreed. Its a damn shame he got a bad injury because he was having a great season for Brighton playing first team football. I would like to see him played through the middle as a support striker, he looks so much better there, jinks past people and unleashed rockets from outside the box. He has looked dissapointing when C.H kept playing him as a left winger, I don’t think he’s suited to play there at all. Right wing possible but otherwise as I stated above.

  10. If we’re in the market for a “chunky 6ft 2in, 34 year old striker my mate Swanny(Swanaldinho) is similar and has a hell of a left foot – he wouldn’t expect much wages either – he is a Liverpool fan though

  11. It,s down to opportunities again, but until the lone Ranger get,s a good run in the team, we,ll never see what he can do with any consistency. Don,t know if yr old enough to remember John Tudor, but he was a prime example of missing a lot as well as scoring a lot.
    John would always have a go at anything inside the opposing half. He would more often than not miss. sometimes by a corner flag or two, but the point is, his scoring figures compare well to most prem forwards. This appeared to be the atitude shown against arsenal the other day. For me, Ranger is the same type of player, although much much quicker. There has to be something in this, and I just hope we get the chance to see this in the not too distant.

  13. Make no mistake here the lone Ranger will make it, I think they are handling him very well, just as they handled Carroll as an impact player with a few starts, you watch next season he will be better than Carroll, he was unplayable against Liverpool when he came on and again against the Gunners.
    I can’t wait to see young Airey as well, he is a bit behind Ranger but equally as promising.

    Why dont we play Nolan up front ? he is big enough and has an eye for goal, he must have more pace than Kuqui.

  15. “He’s also played for Stockport County, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Crystal Palace, Fulham, TuS Koblenz and a few Finnish teams”

    Are you sure we are after someone of this calibre?
    On paper he looks way out of our league.
    Just the major signing we need fingers crossed…..zzzzzz :lol:

  16. If Kuqi is under serious consideration Id rather save on the wages and stick with what we’ve got.

  17. Daily Mail must link us to a new squad of players every month.

    Ewerthon would be a player Im optimistic on, Alialialialialidere is one I wouldnt want, rather give the youth a chance from the u11’s than him.

  18. Kuqi would be a perfect choice for the remainder of the season, if he agrees such a deal. He did score 7 goals and made 4 assists in his Premiership season with Blackburn. He has the perfect physical presence and always works his ass of for the team.

  19. I agree with Wolf. Kuqi is a model professional. He may not be the perfect goal machine, but he creates lots of space for others and is a very important team player. Much like Dirk Kuyt for Liverpool.

  20. Shefki “Kosovo bull” Kuqi is the greatest striker in the world. 20 FA premier league goals are coming. GO SHEFKI! I LOVE U!
    Gr8 man ‘n’ surely hard to f***.

  21. In town now having a medical-talk sport is having a right laugh.
    Don’t know much about him but he sounds fookin shit!

  22. sirjasontoon says:
    February 9, 2011 at 6:46 pm

    “Don’t know much about him but he sounds fookin shit!”

    Used to play for Blackburn for a year or two, and had a few games at Fulham, Jason.

  23. Few people have rang in saying how toss this bloke is – proper twats and con men running our club.

  24. Heard enough Worky surely Xisco is better than this old Cart Horse.
    Sell an idol a number nine and replace him with a pile of dog shit from a bargain bin.

  27. PS. That video clip was just part of the exhaustive investigation that Patsy Pardew commissioned before he finally “got his man”. “This boy can deliver” Patsy beamed after signing the Yugoslavian born hitman.

  30. Yeah I remember him, big guy, not that bad at the time.
    But c`mon is this the best we can do ?
    Rather see our youngsters than this guy, waste of time and money.
    Goes to prove a point i have tried to make, the blind leading the blind, Ashley and Llambias.
    Apparently the only thing Ashley understands about football, (having the mindset of a retailer)is profit and loss, as for Llambias, god knows what he`s about ?
    Only thing I have seen him do, is act the apologist for Ashley.
    This club needs some professional guidance at the top level, cause these guys have no clue.

    On a more pleasant note it`s rumored Chris. Hughton is in line for the managerial role at W/Brom.
    Hopefully he gets it, at least someone recognises his ability, believe he is what the club needs and wish him success.
    Not that he is a BIG NAME like our guy…..ermmm !

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