looking at the West Ham vs Aston Villa game just now (I bet West Hams goal was the result of a hoof of similar proportion to the clubs fat headed manager) and thinking about how the players who basically deserted us in the relegation season to go on to 'greater things' (ahem). This then made me think Given probably wishes he stayed with us all things considered (and with hindsight, of course), but would he get in ahead of Krul now in NUFCs team ?
Given leaving actually helped Newcastle, oddly enough - it meant (after an injury to Steve Harper) that Krul got his long-overdue opportunity, and made the most of it.
what an utter numpty - this was meant for the toon board, that'll be cos I was having a sneaky peak at your impressions of today game lolz
I wouldn't say Given is/was overrated by any means - he was keeping Newcastle up for several seasons with his performances in goal, and when they sold him they dropped down to the Championship. I'd even go as far to say if he wasn;t at Villa last season, Bolton would have stayed up. He's always been a solid, reliable keeper and a good shot-stopper...until the Euros, anyway.
- i don't think he kept us up for several seasons - possibly Roeder's full season and Souness' rubbish 14th place finish with SBR's team, though both were quite comfortable really, but apart from that not really, though he may well have done the relegation season (I actually think one crucial save would have saved us it was that close)
Sorry but that's bollocks. I am a Newcastle fan who watched him week in week out and he saved us on so many occasions it was unreal, we would have been relegated before we were if we hadn't had him bailing out the likes of Bramble and Boumsong out all the time. His supposed weakness - high crosses - was also greatly exaggerated IMO. Having said that he has declined big time since those days and I'm really glad that Krul got his chance after so long being patient and waiting his turn. Feel a bit sorry for Steve Harper but he was also on the way down by the time Krul really came to prominence. Given at his best was better than Krul is now but Tim will get better in the next few years as he's still young.
I'm capable of objectivity when it comes to our players. Also I tend to place more stock in the word of someone who watched him every week for a decade but hey you're entitled to your opinion. I agree that his size wasn't ideal but he compensated for that with a good jump. I didn't worry when crosses came in against him, I didn't worry at all when he was in goal tbh. If anything I thought kicking was the weakness in Given's game but it wasn't enough to really bother me.
