Sky Sports is reporting this morning that Spanish Club Levante are keen to take Albert Luque back to the La Liga on loan for the season.
This would have been quickly picked up by Newcastle a couple of months ago, but with Luque’s improved attitude and improved form in pre-season we would like to see Albert stay at Newcastle for the season.
 He deserves an opportunity to revitalize his career on Tyneside, given the disastrous time he’s experienced in his first two seasons at the club..
Albert Luque – much improved attitude and form under Sam Allardcye – keep him!
It’s true that the Spanish striker has struggled to make an impact at St James’ Park since his move from Deportivo La Coruna in 2005, but now with manager Sam Allardyce in charge, most fans and Luque himself feel he can start to produce the form we all know he possesses.
While Luque has managed only 14 starts in his first two seasons at Newcastle we would be disappointed if Allardyce let’s him go now. We don’t know the financial situation at Newcastle and we know Chairman Chris Mort would like to cut the £80M debts – but we think Luque can really help the team this season.
Levante tried to sign the player last January but failed along with a number of other clubs, but they are now reported to have renewed their interest after failing to secure a deal for Brazilian striker Baiano.
Luque has been in good form for Newcastle in this season’s warm-up games looking good and particularly sharp and confident in front of goal scoring 3 good goals. We think Albert should stay and try to make it at Newcastle, because we now think it is definitely possible – and we hope the club let’s him have that opportunity.
In any case he’s promised to look after our new boy Jose Enrique 😀
What do you think?  Should Newcastle send Luque out on loan?
Comments welcome.
20 comments so far
Dingo
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:11 PM
Comment #1Thanks to Sean for this one…. here are many reasons (for those of you didnt see them) that Albert Luque should stay in the fold. Untill i clicked on sean’s link the other day, embarassingly I have to say “i didnt think he had it in him”
sit back and enjoy (again)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=381LRSWLGDY
cooldj
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:20 PM
Comment #2stay as i think he provides good LM cover to the Zog (lets face it Duff wont be back fully till next year.
AndyW
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Comment #3Under no circumstances should he go on loan. I think he is a genuinely different option to some of the other strikers being neither a nippy little striker (Owen/Martins) or a target man (Viduka/Ameobi). He is more of an attcking midfileder who crosses well, has some great little touches and link-up play, reads the game well and has an eye for goal. Its just where his particular skill set fits into what Newcastlke are trying to do.
Last two years it just didn’t but I think now, with Sam’s tendency for a front three, Luque could have have an influential year on Tyneside. Plus I think he wants to do well at Newcastle as his pride has been hurt over recent times, so the motivation is there.
jb
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:29 PM
Comment #4we need him here to help the bull settle in.. take him under his wing
SuperShearer
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:36 PM
Comment #5There is no way we should allow Luque to go on loan. If Sam is going to play an attacking midfielder behind the front two then Smith and Luque are ideal for that position, they both read the game well and know how to make runs and passes to break through a defense. If a good offer to sell him comes in i think we would hve to look at it but for now would love to see Luque given a chance under a decent manager and hopefully see what we paid for in the first place.
Bruce
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:43 PM
Comment #6He’s crocked. Managed 17 minutes, I think it was, against Gateshead. Groin strain with no return date.
drew
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:45 PM
Comment #7I must be watching a different person when I see him play then cos for me he is below average in the premiership. His game isn’t suited to the english league. Get him out on loan – nobby will look after the bull.
Ryan
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Comment #8I was under the impression that Luque was an attacking winger when we signed him, so why was he never given a chance there? Instead he’s always been thrown in up front and never looked strong enough for the demands of a rough EPL. I do think he could play in a 4-3-3 system attacking from the wing. When confident he has an eye for goal and a powerful shot. He could yet prove useful this season under the guidance of Big Sam. Keep him, but only if he’ll get a fair chance and decent oppurtunities in his preferred position.
MightyMilburn
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:49 PM
Comment #9No brainer..
NUFC have paid a lot of money for Luque and for a variety of reasons he hasnt repaid that investment with goals/assists on the pitch.. It seems as if he will (finally) be getting a prolonged run-out/break/chance (call what you like) in our first team squad this season..
I believe that he could be a solid first teamer – if he doesnt break down (mentally and physically).. I also believe that the SJP crowd is ready to give him a chance; meaning support him when he is on the pitch..
However, lets not forget Luque is making a “fairly” decent income playing footie – so we are in our right to demand that he delivers the goods on the pitch (repeatedly).. If he fails to deliver after this season – flog him to the highest bidder..
Lull , Malaysia
Aug 8, 2007 at 1:51 PM
Comment #10AndyW & SuperShearer – Can’t agree more! For the first time, I hope to see Luque to get on the pitch for Toon again. Let him to be the first to show that Spaniard can be successful at Newcastle.
Bosck
Aug 8, 2007 at 2:21 PM
Comment #11All depending on how allardyce goes with formation this year, but theoretically luque could play for us in one position which is his favourite but cannot be covered to as good an effect by any other player(at least until Duff returns and possibly even then).
In 442 he can cover left wing but we already have Zogs, Milner, Duff or poss Emre there so plenty of cover.
In 41212 (or 442 diamond) he and smith can share the role sat in behind the strikers.
However in a true 433 formation Luque is the only true left forward we have playing as part of a front 3, milner can cover there, and milner, martins or smith can be used as a right forward, but with a central striker luque as i say is the only true left forward, and given BSA liking for this system, we could well see Luque getting far more games than first espected when he is fit.
so unless we were to sell him (and possibly not even then) i hope luque doesnt leave as he could be a key 1st team player if big sam opts for his favoured 433.
Graham
Aug 8, 2007 at 2:24 PM
Comment #12That’s the 1st time i have seen those clips and if Sam needs a reason to Keep Luque then he only needs to find a computer! With Sams man management skills (souness too rough Roeder too soft) Luque can go on and become a shining light this season. There is obviously no doubting his talent and having Enrique comiong in can only help him finally settle after 2 hard years. Certainly at home, a 3 pronged attack with Luque, Martins and one of Viduka, Owen, Smith or Shola (maybe) will have the bottoms of defenders squeking at 5 to 3 every saturday afternoon.
Mind you if all he’s gonna do is keep the Bull company – I’ll learn spanish and charge a lot less than Luque does!
Dave
Aug 8, 2007 at 3:21 PM
Comment #13Sean/Dingo
Thanks for the link – if Sam can get this man back we’d be FOOLS TO LET HIM GO.
apan
Aug 8, 2007 at 3:33 PM
Comment #14his wearing num 19 this season so his gonna explode like he did at deportivo im sure give him one more chance
malaysian youngster
Aug 8, 2007 at 4:02 PM
Comment #15i rate him higher than ameobi at the moment. and i think martins is a left footer
Bosck-Luque is the only true left forward we have playing as part of a front 3
bobby
Aug 8, 2007 at 4:18 PM
Comment #16he is a waste of space. he hasnt looked sharp in pre season. he has scored two tap ins and a penalty but besides that he has been typical Luque, poor first touch, horrendous passing and absolutely zero pace. It seems to me that we as fans are trying to look for the smallest indication that we have a decent player on our hands. people say things happen for a reason but in luque’s case i think we are trying to put reasons to the things which have happened! he has quite simply been awful!
Ian, Doha
Aug 8, 2007 at 4:37 PM
Comment #17If we can sell him for a decent fee, I would let him go.
However, no team will buy him based on performances over the past two years. He needs to kick-start his career and the added responsibility of looking after Enrique just may improve him mentally for the coming season.
I hope so, as we paid a lot of money for him and he owes us big style……
Dingo
Aug 8, 2007 at 5:16 PM
Comment #18@ bobby… i understand your frustration over the last 2 seasons, but to say that his 2 recent goals were just tap ins is way of the mark mate. I dont know if you watched the games, but he held his run, held it some more looked to the right wing and then scurried past 2 defenders and beat the goalie with his “tap ins”…. it takes a good bit of skill to get on the end of crossed balls like that and hit em first time to score….. get down the park this weekend mate and have a go yersel. 😛
Ed Harrison
Aug 8, 2007 at 7:44 PM
Comment #19Dingo – agree comletely – Luque made it look easy – but it would have been so easy to have missed both of them. The one he put in on the far post – he seemed to wait and then put it under the goalkeeper – looked real class because it looked like he did exactly what he meant to do. The boy has class – but he needs to produce it more now – but think Big Sam knows how to get him to produce.
rich
Aug 8, 2007 at 10:11 PM
Comment #20luque needs a chance, he seems like a good proffesional, imagine if Dyer was in his situation? JUST IMAGINE, he would be bad mouthing us at every oppertunity etc.. but Luque has maintained his proffesionalism.
give him another chance, dont farm him out YET.