Leon Best-Loves Playing At St James Park!

Yeah that was a great little run for a guy like him, Fiorentina friendly as well he was one on one.

 

Another really weird thing about Best is he looks so much better in the PL than the Championship.

 

The fact that you even mentioned a disallowed goal in your OP indicates that you are clutching at straws already.

Best is a poor player who has a good game now and again, sadly, he is probably the best of a very bad bunch of strikers.

Even Paul Kitson scored a hatrick once.

 

As did Steve Watson :S

Wasn't for us like - think was for Everton

 

would you count the 3rd goal of his hattrick as a 1 on 1?

skip to about 50 seconds in
[video=youtube;3Ft69iylmZ8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ft69iylmZ8 [/video]

 

I would probably count it

 

I'm pretty sure he said in the interview after the Fulham game that whenever he plays Best he always seems to score...that'd suggest that he's gonna play him more.

Newcastle boss Alan Pardew: "Leon Best scored two again and, fair play to him, every time we play him he seems to score, so he's a good omen for me."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/14606026.stm

 

Pardew said in his Fulham interview that Best always gives him a selection headache because he produces when given the chance. Now basic management skills suggest you play him more often, yet Pardew just doesn't seem to rate him at all and seems reluctant to play him.

 

Thing is, it's the easiest selection "headache" ever. Best is on form and Ba has the ability, whether or not he's showing it now. You can play Ba, Best or both, just not Shola!

 

I like the 4-4-2 with two proper wingers now though, and two deep CMs. Think this could be very effective for us.

 

The way he said that in the Fulham interview kinda showed he isn't keen on playing him too, as if he was saying '****s sake I don't want to play him but every time I do he scores'. Bit daft really, play whoever scores the goals not whoever you want to score the goals. Hope Best keeps getting games, as frustrating as he is at times he keeps bagging them.

 

I like it too and I think when Ben Arfa comes back it will work even better as he gives us that bit spark

 

It's little things like this that makes you question Pardew. Best is on form, yet if Shola is back from injury for the QPR game, he'll play Shola up top.

 

Now THAT is a selection headache. Never mind "do I play a good on-form striker or Shola?", where do we put Benny?

 

Probably up front. Well in the whole behind Ba or Best. Or possibly on the left - didn't he play on the left in his amazing performance against Everton?

 

Exactly. It seems like every manager we have HAS to play Shola for some reason, even if other strikers are in form. It's madness.

 

That's what I was thinking, be nice if all four attackers were on form so he had to work for his place and not be assured of it. He played on the left in the Everton game, but was basically in the free role, he cut inside a lot.

 

Did you see Pardew's compliment to the Ameobi family in an interview not so long ago? I bet they dig up **** on every manager and unbeknown to their footballing kids, blackmail the **** out of them. [/libel]

 

Yeah he did. So what about this:

Krul
Santon - Taylor - Colo - Ferguson
Obertan - Tiote - Cabaye - Jonas
Ben Arfa
Ba

I would put Ferguson at left back to give us the balance as Santon/Jonas is a bit unbalanced

Or possibly this:

Krul
Santon - Taylor - Colo - Ferguson
Obertan - Tiote - Cabaye - Ben Arfa
Ba - Best

But, this one would obviously mean leaving Jonas out which isn't an option - I wouldn't fancy him on the right wing either

 

Yeah, it was against Scunthorpe. Something just don't seem right when it comes to playing Shola.