Why does anyone rate Shola?

But Pardew has started him ahead of people before, once or twice this season and the only reason he hasn't done recently is because he has been injured. The worry is that he will do it again because for some reason every Newcastle manager does it. I'm not constantly banging on about him being **** but if he gets played ahead of Best or Ba for no reason other than Pardew wanting to do it, then I'll complain about Pardews decision.

 

This highlights my point exactly how can you say for Ameobi oh don't judge him this season he hasnt played much yet when Demba Ba hasnt played much yet either! Slightly hypocritical.

Demba Ba: Apps played 7 scored 4

Ameobi apps played 5 scored 0

Lovenkrands apps 3 scored 2

Leon Best apps 7 scored 3

Who is preforming better this season so far?

 

Thats rubbish though. He's played odd games this year when Pards has changed things around, Ba started very poorly (read these boards for proof of that) and Best didn't fire until Fulham. Last season Best was out half the season and Shola filled in wearing a facemask because he was injured too, prior to that he was reserved for the cup (and scored two against a John Terry led Chelsea) or a foil for Carroll (two goals in the 5-1). Championship he started, scored for fun, then got injured. Before that he was never more than 3rd or 4th choice.

If he gets picked ahead of a fit and on form Ba or Best I'll agree with you, but otherwise nay.

 

? Ba and Best are in form. So what I've said is what you agree with.

 

I agreed that if he plays ahead of those two on form its daft (I've made 3 or 4 posts so far explaining he's backup), its your shout that every Newcastle manager picks him on merit that I don't. Pards and Hughton are the only ones who haven't had players vastly better, yet I can probably count on one hand the number of times they've picked Shola for tactical reasons rather than injury requirements, or Ba being very very hungry.

 

Im not Knocking Ba ffs get it through your skull..

what was Ba's tally after 5 games?... 5 games... 0 goals... same as shola... shola has been out injured.. Ba got 4 goals in 2 games...

what im saying is those 5 games Shola was on the same level as Ba at the start of the season.. just happens that shola got injured and Ba went on to have 2 good games.

what if shola didnt get injured... he in theory had the same opportunity to score 4 goals in 2 games.

people saying shola is going to be keeping players out the team or has been is bollocks.. the fact the games shola played at that time our other strikers wernt setting the prem alight either. it just so happens it coincided with shola getting injured... if shola was injured from day one Ba still would have had a poor first few games.

 

you are basing assumptions as fact.. Ba and Best are on form.. and you are assuming they are getting dropped for shola.. when the choice has yet to be made. Ba and Best wasnt on form the games shola played in this season

 

It was with a touch of hyperbole that I said that, my point was just that we as fans have seen his decline in quality over the years and yet he still gets starts under many managers even when there are other options. When other players aren't in form it doesn't always mean that Shola is, I'm not alone in thinking that there were games last season that we should have just started Lovenkrands or even Ranger or some moron like that instead of Shola because he wasn't good enough.
Anyway I've been dragged into mentioning previous seasons when all I mean to discuss is this season and I hope that he doesnt get games ahead of Best or Ba.

 

All I've said is that it is a worry that he will be picked ahead of them, and I hope that he doesn't. I don't think I can guess what Pardew will decide to do in future.

 

And that is what I agree with you on. I still fail to see any time where he's played (in 10 years!) where he's played ahead of better options, and frankly Lovenkrands (scores against Championship or lower) and Ranger (scores against no one) aren't better options.

 

Yeah I entirely agree on Ranger with hindsight, but mid-last season most of us were intrigued by his potential and I saw quite a few people questioning why he wasnt starting ahead of Shola at times. And on Lovenkrands, while he scores just as few as Shola he at least doesn't fall over or give away the ball in dangerous areas so I'd rather have him start instead.

 

This. Some people on here..

 

This.

 

1)"Ba is absolute dog ****e" you said those words earlier in the thread..

2) This is not a good argument to bring what if's in, clutching at straws. If Lovenkrands had played more he may have bagged 5 goals. In theory any player on the pitch could score 2 goals we all know ameobi cant score a hattrick unless its against the Mackems who play awful against us!! Ameobi just doesnt have the ablility!

3)Ba is a new member to the squad and will take a while to gel, Ameobi has been here 10 years! So Ba's poor start doesnt worry me, Ameobi's does as I know this poor start is infact his normal form!!

 

I dont think he will walk straight into the team. as Ba and Best are doing a good job at the moment.. if one goes off form them i have no problem with shola going into the team

Shola is just an option for us. the games he played was when all the strikers wer playing questionably. at no point am i saying he is our best striker because i dont think he is.. but he is a good option to have because he can get the goals.. he does have that ability.

I get frustrated at shola too sometimes but no more than i get frustrated at other players... was it against blackburn when best scuffed about a million chances.. i was tearing my hair out. in my opinion i thought he should have been subbed. i can guarantee if it was shola who scuffed all those chances the reaction would have been 10x harsher...

people seem to be offended that i defend shola but id defend any player i thought was getting undeserved criticism. im 100% behind every player while he has the shirt on

 

It's quite puzzling to have to explain why Shola won't perform well if played. Sort of like teaching a kid that if they tip their juice cup upside down it will spill, after tipping it upside down 50 or so times they've had plenty experience to know that it will spew juice all over the floor. We've seen Ameobi enough times to know that he won't start banging in hat tricks just because he's a nice guy.

 

Thought Ba was "dog ****e"?

 

To say he is twice the player (which is very debateable) doesnt say much as Ameobi is shocking... Also we have few strikers, where as our midfield is our strongest position by far.....

We now have Tiote.. Cabaye...Ben Arfa...Dan Gosling....Vuckic ...Abeid .. Guthrie, who can play a central midfield role..

In my opinion Guthrie will be behind a few of them, he is average back up! And although I dont agree I can see why some people say he is **** ....he is like a worse version of Jordan Henderson...

 

Not at all, people just seem puzzled as to why you are telling them to stop discussing his poor ability. Yes, we all get frustrated with other players too but the majority of us get frustrated with Shola a lot more, in fact it isn't far off every game he has played this year that he has frustrated us one way or the other. For me it depends just how off form Best and Ba are before I'd replace them with Shola because I think he is very poor.

 

The Ba comments were sarcastic... i was echoing the sentiments people had when he was playing crap