Looking at the dross we have at the club currently and seeing what we have let go/sold in the last few seasons is very disappointing to look at. GK - Frasier Forster - doing well with the Saints and regular call ups for England RB - Danny Simpson - About to win the league with Lecister CB - James Tavernier - RB by trade but still just been promoted with Rangers CB - Mike Williamson - Never the best but would have been useful for the last few weeks when we lacked CB's. Would anyone take Colo or Saylor over him by a stretch? LB - Davide Santon - Can not fathom why he was let go and look at our options in this poistion now CM - Medhi Abied - Sounds as though he has done well in Greece and is being looked at by Porto CM - Danny Guthrie - not the greatest again but is in a team higher up the league RW - Remy Cabella - a bit light weight but was never really given a chance to adapt and we have no natural wingers now bar Townsend and Aarons, may have kicked on this season CAM - Luuk De Jong - Another not given a real chance and is tearing it up at PSV with 2 goals ever 3 games LW - Florian Thuavin - See Remy Cabella but if we do get relegated I think it will do him good to play in the Championship for a season. CF - Andy Carroll - Injury prone but could have been a useful squad option and someone for Mitro to learn the English game from. Now by no means am I saying these players are World Class and we would have been any better off with them this season but I don't think that team would have done any worse this season. Any recommendations of other players who would still do a job for us this season? ACS - Barton KazakhToon - Routledge, Mbiwa, Ben Arfa
Lol at both Barton and Nolan! Both past it! Barton only looked good as he found Carroll's head. The only truly gutted ones are Forster, Tavs and Abeid. The rest, just because our current lot are ****e, are just as bad if not worse!
Forster was never going to stay and be understudy to Krul. He's a starting keeper, as Krul is when on form. Simpson was mediocre with us and has come on since leaving, I'd put Routledge in that category too. Real regrets are for Santon, Yanga-Mbiwa, possibly Cabella as he would have come good given time imo and had a better attitude than Thauvin who replaced him, possibly Abeid though he never really dazzled for us. Ben Arfa could walk back into the team we have currently, but attitude again got in the way. But... LDJ not given a real chance, are you kidding me? I'm assuming when we let Riviere go you'll be back on singing his praises and talking about how he wasn't supported properly. And Williamson, give me a break, was never gladder to see a player leave.
Some good shouts there in MYM and HBA but LDJ wasn't given a fair crack mate 12 appearances in a season and not all of them were starts meant he never got going. He can obviously do the business as he is doing it at PSV currently.
In half a season. He was signed to make an impact and flopped badly. Considering he was on loan it would have been sheer idiocy to offer him anything on the strength of what he managed in his time here.
Fair enough it was half a season but 8 starts and 4 sub appearances for a player new to the league, in a team that was really struggling and playing out of position (his own words) leaves me of the opinion that I don't think you can judge him on that. But like we say its all personal opinions. Swap LDJ out for HBA and Willo out for Yanga-Mbiwa that team is looking better and better. *Just for the record I will piggy back Riviere back to the French 5th divison where he belongs
If a lot of the players listed above have 'kicked on' or suddenly found some form after leaving NUFC, what does that say about the club and the coaching staff at the time. There must be a reason players look good at others clubs and in other leagues and then come to Newcastle and struggle. And its not just down to playing in the PL either because plenty of other clubs seem to manage to bring foreign players in and get a decent tune out of them. John Carver still maintains that he was the best coach in the PL last year though!!!
