This years run in is important for Ameobi and his Newcastle future
Posted by JamesB in Glenn Roeder, Newcastle | 12 April 2006
Glenn Roeder jumped to the defence of Shola Ameobi last week, saying the stick that the fans give him is unjust – Shola paid his manager back with the winning goal on Sunday against the Smoggies. But is he really a player who has proved himself enough to warrant an extended stay on Tyneside, or should we be looking at shipping him out?
No doubt one of the most frustrating things about Ameobi is his lack of consistency. Occasionally he reminds us what he can do, but most fans will tell you these performances are too rare after being in or around the first team for a few seasons now. Good performances off the top of my head from this season are Sunderland at home, where he bagged an impressive brace, Spurs at home a fortnight ago, Villa away where he got an early goal, and I’m told he had a good game against Boro yesterday as well, but he rarely seems to translate these good performances in to a good run.
All top strikers can go through a dry patch of course, but Ameobi’s dry patches are fairly often, and can go on for a fair few games. The good performances mean that many people would be loathed to get rid of him, because the belief is there that he can do it at the top level. However having to endure some dire performances in return for the odd good one becomes frustrating, and the buck has to stop somewhere.
Evidence suggests in fact that when he does put in a good performance, or chip in with a goal, it has a big effect on the outcome of the game. Goals this season have come against Sunderland, Boro, Villa, Bolton, Liverpool, and all but the latter of those games have been won. To me this suggests that when he is up for it and gets involved, his performance really does have a big impact, especially when he has been up front with the restricted Shearer, because there is only so much the talisman can do.
The trouble with Ameobi is that he hasn’t exactly progressed as some would have liked. A dodgy hernia, coupled with a lack of confidence meant that he never really got going during the Souness era. Back when he was scoring against the likes of Barcelona big things were predicted for the lanky striker, but he’s just never developed in to a top goalscorer for whatever reason. Some might say that a loan move might give him a kick up the rear that he needs, but loaning to a lower league team is not what he needs. He has proved enough to us to know that he will do well in a poor league, what we need to know is that he can consistently do it in the big time. Whether there are any Premiership teams that would take him on loan is questionable, its something I wouldn’t object to providing we got a couple of forwards in during the summer.
Quotes from some of the managers he has worked with also make out that he is a player who can cut it in the big time. Souness described him this season as “unplayable” on his day and in training, Bobby Robson was always full of praise for the striker, and just last week Glenn Roeder was praising the striker. Of course a manager will always do everything he can to back his players, but at the end of the day these guys are the experts, and they are the ones praising him and playing him, so there must be something in the player that makes him an asset.
Some of the parts of his game that frustrate fans in my opinion include the needless fouls he gives away, him not standing his ground enough, and definitely not using his attributes well enough. His long legs, height, and physical presence should make him a big handful for defenders, but he doesn’t seem to get amongst the defence enough to make the most of it all. He can also be quick when he is at full stretch, but often he seems to be jogging, or not quite putting his foot on the gas enough. This has been described as his “deceiving running style” but its certainly something a lot of fans have picked up on and find frustrating. He could probably beat a fair few Premiership defenders for pace, but whether its lack of belief, confidence or anything else, it just doesn’t happen so much any more. From a personal point of view I think his game has changed slightly over the years, from playing on the shoulder to dropping off with his back to goal more often than not. The way he plays at the moment with his back to goal means a partnership with Shearer is fairly ineffective, as Shearer’s strengths are the same thing, and winning flick ons. These flick ons go to waste if there isn’t a pacey striker playing behind looking for the ball behind the defence. Ameobi is guilty of getting caught offside a lot when he does try to go clear of the defence. A partnership with Owen would probably be more productive, but we can’t gamble this summer and not buy any strikers in the hope that the partnership comes off.
At the end of the day, whether people want him out or not, he’s not one of those players that I can actually see ever leaving the club. His affiliation is certainly with Newcastle; he loves the place, the club and the people. Most of the managers that have trained with him say he is a pleasure to work with, he doesn’t cause any disruption, and I doubt he will ever want to leave the place he loves, so I suppose it’s all hypothetical really. However I do think that the near future is very important for Ameobi, especially the end of this season. He’s been playing well, and he has got 5 games left to prove his point and stake his claim for next season. If he doesn’t then I think the new managerial team will be looking at other options in the transfer market, and Ameobi’s role next season will be very limited. With Shearer departing I expect us to sign a new striker in the summer regardless, but it could be more than one if the manager doesn’t see Ameobi as a good enough player to step in if needed. I think everyone wants him to do well; he’s a local lad, who has never put the club in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, and consistent performances would see him held high in fans esteem.
I personally hope he puts his head down and has a really good run in this year, because I think the end of this season could be more important regarding his future than people would have thought.
Comments
Ameobi - I agree with pretty much everything you say, but, to me it is more simple a top striker is a clinical finisher and quite simply Ameobi isn't a clinical finisher. His goals to game ratio is that of a reasonable midfielder. The frustration in part are the simple chances he doesn't score from and the frequency he simply misses the target. We need two more top class strikers and then I would be happy to have Ameobi as number four. The reality is if I never saw him play in black and white again I would not be upset. To me he would be a good enough player in the championship, but I can't see him ever scoring more that ten in the prem even if he plays every game.
A very good article - spot on. Let's hope Shola can make the most of the next few games!
spot on thier jeb
minigeffs
Good synopsis of Ameobis style, personally I'd keep him He's had a fairly decent run lately.
In truth although rightly a legend Shearer has been a complete passenger for the last ten games and only seems good at moaning and getting the odd free kick.
Unfortunately it would have been better for him and Newcastle to actually retire last season.
We def need to buy a decent striker to partner Owen but given that he may not even be around if he has a decent world cup it's likely to be Ameobi plus one other next season, at the moment I'd let Ameobi and Luque play up front, even Luque can probably add more to Newcastles game than Shearer. Who knows if he has a couple of good games we might even get some money back for him in the summer.
