Obafemi Martins is enjoying life on Tyneside under new manager Kevin Keegan.
Oba Martins - celebrating his goal yesterday - steady now
It took until Kevin Keegan’s 10th game in charge before he could register his first win of his second management reign at St. James’ Park, but just like Kevin said, that’s all it would take to turn the team around.
And he’s been proved right because since the Fulham 2-0 win a couple of weeks ago Newcastle have demolished both Tottenham Hotspur and Reading by a combined score of seven goals to one, and neither game was even close. They’ve been surprisingly easy victories, with the results never in doubt in the second half of both games.
One player to benefit greatly from Keegan’s new attacking style at Newcastle is Nigerian striker Oba Martins, who has scored two good individual goals in the last two games, to go to 9 goals for the season, just one goal behind Newcastle captain Michael Owen.
Martins talked today and said he had no intentions of leaving Newcastle any time soon:
“Not only me, all the players want to stay next season. But we are not going to talk about next season now.â€
“We have five games left and we have to continue to play and win. It is possible to win all five games, so we will see what happens.
“We showed the fans how we can do it and we are very happy because if we continue to play like this, we will be at the top, never mind the bottom.
“We just need to continue to play well in the last five games.”
Martins has combined well with Michael Owen and Mark Viduka in a new 4-3-3 formation which allows Keegan to deploy all his top-class strikers up front. It has worked phenomenally well over the last three weeks.
Oba continued:
“We are playing together very, very well. We have been training hard to play together, so we are happy.“
“We are pleased to score beautiful goals - and if we continue to play like that, we will score more goals.”
The next game will be at Fratton Park next Saturday and Portsmouth beat us easily last November by 4-1, after being 3 goals up in just 11 minutes of that game.
So that should be an exciting game and another test for this rejuvenated Newcastle side.
Comments welcome.
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77 responses so far ↓
1 Carr is shite // Apr 6, 2008 at 15:53
Let’s thrash pompey to get back our revenge
2 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:04
yes! revenge!
3 Dirk // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:16
‘Not only me, all the players want to stay next season’
4 Spot The Zebra // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:21
Here is hoping Oba`s new contract is signed soon as he looks like he can be an important player for us for many years to come.
If we are looking for a striker this summer it should be someone who has plenty of pace as we dont really have an alternative to Martins if he becomes unavailable for whatever reason.
We have the rapidly improving Andy Carroll to challenge Viduka and i see perhaps Duff being able to play in Owens role in a 4-3-3, but no one similiar to the Nigerian currently in the squad.
Im happy the Pompey game is being shown live on TV but its a disgrace the way our fans have been treated what with the late announcement.Our tremendous away following now have to rearrange travel arrangements for the furthest away game of the season and to make matters worse its a 5.15 k.o.! Its too easy to put forward the clubs TV money they receive as an argument for mistreating fans this way.
5 Zx // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:35
This is a nice picture
6 cloudstrife // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:47
i wonder though, if a club offerin Champions League Football eg Arsenal come in for Oba, would he go? would be pretty tempting for
Geordie Oba…
7 Leo // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:48
yeah its good to hear that all the players want to stay for next season, that obviously includes charlie, he has either seen the light or it was not true…
8 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:50
Spot the Zebra…Cisse i believe is just the player we need
9 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:51
wouldnt be so sure of that Leo, papers trying to say Tottenham want Taylor aswell, where does this bullcrap come from
10 Barrett Wallace // Apr 6, 2008 at 16:51
recognise the name Cloud Strife?
11 Leo // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:05
well they put 2 and 2 together and get 5, taylor apparntly stormed out of the stadium for what many of us believe to be good reasons lol… if there could be any… and then the newspapers are trying to put a downer on our good results.`
12 Hadrian // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:08
keegan will tell the lads that the fan’s would have been hurt by the way pompey beat us at st james .
he’ll tell our lad’s to go out there and get some pride back for us.
13 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:15
I just hope we arent reading too much into the last couple of games, As we did when we finished 7th under Roeder we played a lot of sides we should have been beating anyway and 7th flattered us in the end, We didnt rebuild sufficiently and last season was as bad as this and we had a better side then.
I hope we get at least 1 CM beacause im very Sceptical about Geremi, Butt and Barton still after watching the majority of their seasons, We still are poor at the back and still need another LB, RB and CB and another RW and LW, Another CF is a also a possible need if we get injuries and as expected Smith and Ameobi leave.
Im scared that KK expects this side to do this every game (Which they wont) and only brings a few in because i will maintain that we still need 7 players and hope that we bring in more than the 4 or 5 KK keeps talking about if we dont get better players we are begging for more of the same next time around.
Gonzalo Rodriguez
Wayne Bridge
Aaron Hughes
Michael Carrick
Stephen Hunt
Shaun Wright-Phillips
Djibril Cisse
Some would be starters and some would be back up players
14 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:17
You could even add Sidwell to that as Barton may be doing time at her majestys in a couple of months
15 cloudstrife // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:18
why would they want Taylor? Dawson seems to be a similar player.
16 Bob // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:22
Pretty much agree CRAIGG.
Loving this as much as anyone but let’s not forget the inept performances - from the vast majority of the squad - we saw for the first part of the year.
Plus many of our squad are starting to get older. It may be better to bed in some newcomers before the likes of Butt and Geremi are totally past it (although their recent form must be commended…).
17 andrew // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:24
im concerned about all this cisse talk he is absolute garbage what would we want him for he wouldnt even get a game for sunderland reserves..
18 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:33
Bob
This is classic Newcastle of the last 10 years. seasons coming to a close, underachievers do shit all season and going to be sold in the summer, then raise their games and put in a few good performances and are kept on the season after only to go back to the mediocre crap that they played for 90% of the season.
I just hope KK is just bluffing when he says he wants 4-5 players, so the players are kept interested.
Its similar to when we got promoted he said we would keep most of the same players and add a few, In the end we totally overhauled the squad over the course of the season letting about 10-11 go and bringing about 8-9 in we dont need that ammount going and staying but we need more than a few in and a few out or next season could be a carbon copy.
19 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:35
Cisse isnt garbage he was wasted at liverpool the same as Crouch is now
20 ehssi // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:35
I just Love Oba :). hes a player that every manager wanna have. :).
21 shaunm // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:46
aaron hughes??????? are you taking the piss???
22 Frankie Wild // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:51
So just a whole team than Craigg, be real we only need 4 or 5 as Kev says. Where is your confidence
23 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:54
No im not, what are our options at RB if Beye gets injured. Carr and Ramage are both out of contract in the summer and Hughes is on a free as well.
He was consistantly good at Right back for our best years under Bobby and should never have been dropped in favour of Carr and definately should not have been sold by the idiot Souness in favour of playing Boumsong, Carr, Bramble and Babayaro.
We need back up who wont let us down and IMO He hardly ever did, Plus he can play all across the back four.
24 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 17:57
I never said a whole team i said 7 players and i have no doubt KK will do a top job but i think he is being taken in by a few decent matches from a few players who have been abysmal all season.
25 joel // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:03
these are the proper players who we are linkes with EVERYONE! aaron lennon,luis fabiano,bafetimbi gomis,jose antonio reyes.
all these plyers are pure quality!
so lets just keep on the subject of these players who are availible too us.
what are your comments on this?
26 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:05
KK said 5 quality players.
Carlos Cuellar - CB
Roberto Hlbert - RM/RB/LM
Miguel Veloso - CDM/LB/CB
Andrei Arshavin - CAM/RM/LM/CF
Djibril Cisse - ST
27 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:05
Were also linked with Michael Dawson on a dailly basis as well
28 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:08
Lennon - Maybe
Reyes - Maybe
Gomis - On the fence
Dawson - No
Riise - No bloody way!
Fabiano - Hopefully not
29 joel // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:09
craigg—- that is also true just add him too the list of names we are concentrating at the moment.
30 joel // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:10
tom toon———-what does that mean (on the fence)?
31 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:11
Not bothered at all.
32 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:11
We wont get Veloso he will go to Man Utd then we can sign Carrick happy days!
Arshavin and Cisse would be great signings
Cuellar is not a player i would go for i dont trust the quality of players up there, Remember the form of Sutton, Hartson, Alan Thompson, Boumsong, Barry Ferguson and Now Samaras all who have been well below average in the premiership and thats being generous.
33 joel // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:11
so on the fence means not bothered at all
34 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:14
I dont know who Roberto Hlbert is you dont mean Robin Hulbert who plays for Port Vale and was a youth player here.
35 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:17
I think KK likes to get players who can improve and get to the top with work.
He did it with Venison who came from Liverpool reserves to us in the old Div 1 and ended up playing for England, The same as Howey who was a youth team striker who KK converted to a CB and he also played for England and was in the Euro 96 squad.
He could do the same with Dawson.
36 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:20
Veloso is better than Carrick
Im torn between Dean Ashton or Cisse.
Cisse edges it actually because he has pace and can cover both big and small strikers.
37 CRAIGG // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:29
I would love Ashton ive said that for ages, he would be my no 1 signing for a striker but i dont know if we could get him West Ham are pretty rich as well these days although Curs favours Cole and Zamora for some reason, Cisse is available thats why ive been talking about him and he could be a good signing.
We wont get Veloso but im sure we could persuade Carrick
That was a joke about Hulbert he was shit when i saw him playing
Edgar is very much right footed
38 Nick C // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:31
I don’t really understand the clamour for Cisse. He never really did it last time in the prem and he acted a proper tit last time he was at SJP. I like Ashton though.
39 Nick C // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:33
Also, I reckon we could do with plundering Boro. Pogatetz loooks a good no nonsense stopper, and I have always rated Arca. He lives in NE3 btw.
40 Bob // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:41
RE: Tom_Toon
Both are pretty injury prone aren’t they?
They are good players but would undoubtedly prefer to get a striker that can stay fit for at least 80% of the season instead of getting another Carl Cort/ Marcelinho.
Peter Crouch would be my preferred option for a backup striker who would challenge for a first team spot. Perhaps even El-Hadj Diouf/Kevin Davies/Clint Dempsey from one of the relegated teams.
Ebanks-Blake also looks a good prospect at 22… pacy and powerful, might be worth a shot as well for around £2-3m.
41 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:44
Cisse isnt injury prone. Dean ashton is.
Cisse has broken his leg twice but no other injuries really, ashton always gets niggly injuries.
42 Hadji // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:51
Tom Toon…What do you think about Igor Budan from Parma,he’s been shining this season.
He reminds me of Luca Toni who also exploded in the late stage of his career.
43 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 18:53
Not good enough for Newcastle, it about the first time hes been good in his career. Total journey man. Id have his fellow contry mn that Nikola Kalinic or Mandkuzic, they are looking players. Even Vukojevic for DM.
44 mark // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:00
why go for another striker when we have the player we’ve got. we need an attacking midfielder, one better than Barton.. & remember.. Smith can play up front.. forget the last bit!!!
45 daiv // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:21
£15M for Deco at 30 is a waste. But he’s better than SMITH. We should be going for the league in next few years and Deco would be too old. the FA Cup is not what it was. NUFC should aim for the stars. Live the dream KK. Only the premiership is good enough for NUFC. 1927 is a long time ago. Too long.
46 daiv // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:27
I am not dfending Big sam but he got slated a few weeks ago for buying rubbish (players who did not cost a lot of money in any event). Look at Kks team yesterday and half were bought by Sam. Rozehal has moved on yet ony cost 2.5 million. The only really rubbish buy is SMITH. could not score in a brothel with £5M in hand.
47 Oga // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:31
In
Van Buyten or Alex
Wes Brown
Matty Taylor
Stephen Appiah
Andrei Arshavin
Eidur Gudjohnsen
Jose Antonio Reyes (If we lose Zog)
Gomis
Out
Cacapa
Rozenhal
Carr
Ramage
Duff
Emre
Viduka
Smith
Gudjohnsen & Martins = Cole & Beardsley mk2.
Appiah = Rob Lee
Arshavin = Ginola mk 2
Van Buyten = Albert
48 Charlie Bucket // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:38
Sell
Given
Rozehnal
Cacapa
Carr
Ameobi
Smith
Sign
David James
Sol Campbell
Sami Hyppia
Claude Makelele
Robert Pires
Emile Heskey
49 daiv // Apr 6, 2008 at 19:50
Too many old men Charlie Bucket. We need quality 25 year olds not 35 year olds. MA needs to dig deep.
50 Gooderz // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:04
Our young lads won’t be ready for the first team for around 5 years so that’s the sort of timeframe any incoming signings must be able to fulfill.
The odd veteran is fine, adding experience and all that, but they must come cheap.
51 Charlie Bucket // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:06
Follow the example set by AC Milan! Build a dad’s army!
That’s whatI was trying to get at.
52 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:26
Charlie Bucket those signings would upset A LOT of nufc supporters i think lol
53 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:27
cant believe people on here saying Cisse is rubbish, what is that based on?
54 andyc290 // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:37
Oba Martins is a legend. Harry Redknapp is a tit and thinks hes mint the ugly pug faced cockney c*nt. Keegan Keegan Keegan. Habib Beye is the best player in the world.
55 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:42
andyc290 i agree, if Beye was playing for Arsenal, Chelsea or Man U they would be calling him the best RB in the prem, or second best after Sagna.
56 scott9 // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:51
if we were going to sign 5 players i think i would go for
van buyten
bridge
gomis/fabiano
tiago
mcgeady/arshevin
57 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:51
NEVER Arca after what he dont to Shearer
58 scott9 // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:52
i dont think we would hav a chance of getting veloso he would cost about 25m and surely he would go to someone like ac milan arsenal man utd real madrid inter milan over us
59 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:53
Scott9 i would have Mcgeady over Arshavin anyday, i personally feel that we need to start buying players who specialise in one or two departments, rether than opting for those who can do a little bit of everything.
Veloso i would say between 12 and 15 million, any more than that and he aint worth it, Players like him are emerging a lot right now and around 20million is just ridiculous
60 Bucks1985 // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:54
As much as i’d love to see the likes of Lucho, Diego et. al. in a black and white shirt next season, it will probably be something like this:
Probably In:
Crouch
Bentley
Riise
Van Buyten
Dunne
Probably Out:
Rozehnal
N’Zogbia
Ramage
Carr
Wouldn’t say no though…
61 joel // Apr 6, 2008 at 20:59
listen everyone !deco has just confirmed a move to newcastle saying he wouldnt mind a move too the premiership http://icnewcastle.icnetwork.co.uk/newcastleunited/sundaysun/tm_headline=barcelona-star-is-keegan-s-summer-target&method=full&objectid=20725562&siteid=79310-name_page.html
62 JC // Apr 6, 2008 at 22:20
Listen to this apparently king kev is offering celtic duff + 8 mill for mc geady and scott mc donald don’t know if it’s true but……any thoughts?
63 Tom_Toon // Apr 6, 2008 at 23:13
Id go for that JC.
64 Spyro // Apr 6, 2008 at 23:30
i would too JC, but how do you know this?
65 Charlie Bucket // Apr 7, 2008 at 0:15
Our team for next season
Dads Army XI
1. David James
2. Jaap Stam
3. Paolo Maldini
4. Claude Makelele
5. Sami Hyppia
6. Sol Campbell
7. David Beckham
8. Paul Scholes
9. Ronaldo
10. Raul
11. Robert Pires
66 ScottyT // Apr 7, 2008 at 0:22
btw just reading through the comments there.. about aaron hughes yes he was a very reliable player and never let any1 down during his first time at the club, and no he should never have been sold especially for 1m..
but he isnt the same player imo hes just not good enough anymore. saw him versus mackems yesterday and he was awful at fault for 2 goals. we have youngsters coming through who could do a backup job for example tozer kadar edgar or even ramage but yes we do need extra cover at the back.
other players mentioned on here id have to say that i wouldnt like cisse as i dont think we need another pacy striker. crouch id prefer but we have carroll also so im not sure. finally i dont really rate either dawson or brown for defense. feel that jose showed how good he can be yesterday as well as beye and they could become 2 decent players for us in future seasons.
67 ScottyT // Apr 7, 2008 at 0:25
lool charlie .. only one problem ronaldo is out with a broken leg for a while and also beckham would get lost on his way to newcastle im afraid haha
68 Gloryhunter // Apr 7, 2008 at 1:56
I can just imagine Posh going to the loo up those stairs in the Percy Arms
69 Thomas // Apr 7, 2008 at 2:38
we should sign Lugano from fenerbahce, mad good, kept Drogba quiet in Istanbul.
70 clinta // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:23
i finally got around to seeing highlights of the tottenham game, and it was superb seeing oba running at their defence and scoring his goal, the kind of stuff we all know his capable of when in form and given half a chance,
thanks big sam for some of the signing, but a big no thanks for keeping oba from playing his football!
71 Ross // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:26
i’d take that in a heartbeat JC.
mcdonald knows where the net is and mcgeady looks exciting.
my only problem with mcgeady is his inability to know when to pass the ball. he tries to beat too many men and will lose the ball.
also, if he gets he ball on the right wing from say…35 yards or less, theres only one thing on his mind, and thats cutting inside and shooting. regardless of whether its the right decision or not, he’ll do it. and the fact he isnt a complete goal machine for celtic shows how often it works.
72 Ross // Apr 7, 2008 at 3:31
and no offence joel..but, there isnt a direct quote in that interview from deco, just a quote from a source at his agency claiming they keep in touch with premier league clubs, lol.
i also find it relatively hard to pay attention to the article when they dont seem to know their rights from their lefts either
73 HeronMag // Apr 7, 2008 at 9:49
People will say I’m dreaming with this one (ok then I am - but wasn’t Shearer a dream signing?) but I could see Keegan trying to shock the world at the end of the season if Ashley and Mort back him.
Ronaldinho. We need a left sided, creative player. He looks desperately in need of a fresh start and with Ashley’s finaces is actually within our price range. In terms of merchandising, like Beckham to Real we would recoup the transfer money in 2 years.
A sound invest methinks.
(ok ok let a lad dream)
74 THELONGSHANKS // Apr 7, 2008 at 10:50
I would go for
def;bridge,dunne,van buyten
mid;lennon,modric,mcgeady,Sumulikoski
for,huntelaar
sell
def;carr,ramage,rozenhal
mid;emre,smith,duff,Zog(i miss my mummy)
for;ameobi
75 Gallacher the Horse // Apr 7, 2008 at 11:20
I don’t usually add to the ‘Who should we buy?’ debates as they are endless, but I can’t be the only person who watched MOTD2 and thoroughly enjoyed Lee Dixon’s ‘assasssination’ of Wes Brown; lazy, ill-disciplined, seemingly unable to read or keep up with the game, frequently out of position and almost on the end of (an injured) Ferdinard’s complete frustration when the second Smog goal went in.
So please, please stop adding Brown to any list of potential incoming defenders. No more ManUre rejects for us thanks; we’re above that and always have been!
76 THELONGSHANKS // Apr 7, 2008 at 11:40
Brown is muck and getting him on the free and paying him 60,000k is a rip off.We have Edgar and i was pleased with him against reading so we dont need him.
77 Lawman // Apr 8, 2008 at 15:50
dunno what his situation is with Everton but Arteta is class IMO
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