Smoggie Ranger?News emerged yesterday suggesting that Middlesbrough could be looking to take Nile Ranger to The Riverside on loan.
Now apart from all the jokes about empty seats at their ground and the less than glamorous surroundings of Middlesbrough, I actually think that this would be a good move.
I don’t know about you guys and gals, but I’m getting increasingly fed up with what is looking to be some of the best youth talent we have had on our books for some considerable time not getting as much as a sniff of the first-team. Highly coveted youngsters like Ranger and Haris Vuckic will just stagnate if they aren’t given the opportunity to flourish.
First-team football should be part of any young players development. No amount of Under-18 games or reserve matches will beat the cut and thrust of playing in the first team. A case in point being Kazenga Lua Lua who is currently plying his trade at Brighton, and is earning numerous pladits for his performances by all accounts. (more…)
George Robledo - Bottom row, second from the right.Did anyone take any notice of the history that was made last Saturday?
English football saw the first ever identical twins going head-to-head as managers when the Holdsworth twins, Dean and David, went head-to-head as Newport County took on Mansfield Town in the Conference Premier.
Following this week’s events its certainly good to see two brothers in the news for the right reasons unlike one of our ex-players currently down the road at the Stadium of Light. It’s a historic moment which I suspect may never be repeated, but it got me thinking about Newcastle players past or present who had siblings within the game.
Looking at brother’s and Newcastle United there is only one place to start, the famous Robledo brothers from Chile. Ted and George grew up in Barnsley during the 1930’s with a Mexican father and a mother from Yorkshire. United were orginally only interested in signing George after he impressed for Barnsley but signed Ted after the twins refused to move without each other. (more…)
Looking and feeling a little rusty in the middle?The previous review of the current squad, took a look at the Newcastle defence, an area that this season we’ve been surprisingly strong in, given our poor reputation in recent years.
Today’s review looks at arguably the fulcrum of a successful team, the midfield, the place that could and should control a game and dictate the style of play. Our midfield this season has been very much part of a strong defensive ethos, and while we have grafters in there, we’re also lacking some natural creativity and pace.
Looking at the current crop, it really makes you pine for some of our former midfielders who have graced the hallowed St James’ turf in the last couple of decades. Reminisce about the grace of French wingers David Ginola and Laurent Robert. Recall the guts, determination and drive of Robert Lee and Gary Speed. Consider the guile we had in Emre, albeit fleetingly, and the sheer brilliance of Nobby Solano. Even having pure pace a la James Milner, Keith Gillespie to worry the opposition. You can even look at some of the less popular characters. We would kill for the pace of Kieron Dyer and dare I say, I could forgive Jermaine Jenas. Possibly even Damien Duff is a big miss? Maybe that’s stretching it…
Anyway, that was the past, what about the present? (more…)
A cup...We’re still on course for some silverware this season after the reserves came through a tough test against their non-league foes, to reach the semi-finals of thecup. Newcastle Reserves lined up at home to Newcastle Benfield of the Northern League, in the quarter final stage of their defence of the Northumberland Senior Cup.
Last season saw the second string side beat Benfield 2-1, at the semi-final stage of the competition and at the same ground with goals from Mark Doninger and Wesley Baheng. Newcastle Benfield sit in 8th place in the Northern League and have a spattering of former YTs of various professional clubs (including United) on the books, including one who’s a physio at the town.
At a blustery Whitley Park, Benfield took an early lead, when a speculative shot from Shaun Bell was carried over the fingers of Robinson and went in off the underside of the crossbar, to put the Northern League side 1-0 up. The wind did it’s best to spoil the game but the youngsters of Newcastle tried to combat it with good interplay, though Benfield largely kept them at bay initially. (more…)
Jus' chillin'?Chris Hughton has admitted that he is pretty laidback as the hour approaches and the ‘temporary loan signing’ window shuts at 5pm tomorrow night until February.
It has long been reported that Leon Cort has been on Hughton’s radar but Hughton has been telling the Chronicle that he’s not in any rush to sign players just for the sake of it:
“You never know, but realistically looking at the squad I don’t really expect to bring anybody in during the next month or so.
“Of course, all sorts of things can happen in the next 24 hours, and phone calls will be made on Thursday with players potentially becoming available.
“Some clubs might make a decision that some of the players who weren’t available earlier in the season are now there for loans. But we’ll see.”(more…)
