Leon Best

[Emmet7]

As if relegating two clubs already wasn't good enough, Strachen seems intent on doing the same with middlesbrough.

When he took over from Southgate, they were fighting for a playoff place and automatic promotion.

The way they are going, it won't be long before they are fighting a relegation battle.

[geysir]

Chris Hughton signs Leon for Newcastle.

Chris knows what it's like to be Black, to be Irish and to be in England.

[seanfhear]

Chris Hughton signs Leon for Newcastle.

Chris knows what it's like to be Black, to be Irish and to be in England.Hopefully he knows a bit about football as well:D

[superfrank]

Chris knows what it's like to be Black, to be Irish and to be in England.

What does that have to do with anything?

[irishfan86]

lol probably the worst comment imaginable for that signing. I'm happy with the move though, it will allow him to get to know his teammates before (hopefully) playing in the Premier League.

[geysir]

What does that have to do with anything?

You mean what has it to do with a leading championship football club on the way to promotion signing a talented player?
Most probably, absolutely nothing except arouse some misplaced sensitivity in you.
Then again it is a good thing, if the few Irish managers around the top 2 divisions are partial to have a fair smattering of Irish players on their books. Wolves were even looking to sign another for their first team.

[dan o d]

good move for best. will probably go straight into the first team aswell as carrol has been struggling for goals and ameobi is still recovering from injury.

[OwlsFan]

Except Newcastle have lost that early season form and have been struggling of late. As we know Geordie fans are not the most patient and I hope they don't get on Best's back too quickly if he doesn't start scoring straight away.

[Serb]

Newcastle are doing ok, they hit a patch there where they were drawing a lot of games, but they still haven't lost for 13 games, are 4 points clear of Forest and have a game in hand.

[TrapAPony]

Is Leon Best really any better than Shola Ameobi or Andy Carroll?

[Razors left peg]

Is Leon Best really any better than Shola Ameobi or Andy Carroll?

We wont know until we see him at the club for a while

[livehead1]

I am very biased when it comes to Leon but I still believe he can go right to the top. I think he has all the attributes, pace, strength, commitment, and an uncanny knack of finding the target. I met him last week and he was saying how proud he was to now be playing for Ireland.

[seanfhear]

Is Leon Best really any better than Shola Ameobi or Andy Carroll?
Are Shola Ameobi or Andy Carroll that good

Ameobi has had loads of chances at Newcastle and maybe due to injuries (or ability) he is not good enough.

Leon Best is a more experienced player than Carroll but the jury is still out.

[drummerboy]

I am very biased when it comes to Leon but I still believe he can go right to the top. I think he has all the attributes, pace, strength, commitment, and an uncanny knack of finding the target. I met him last week and he was saying how proud he was to now be playing for Ireland.

Good to hear that. I think the lad has a chance and Chris Houghton is a decent coach and will improve the lad.

[TrapAPony]

Are Shola Ameobi or Andy Carroll that good .

No....but that was my point when I said is Leon Best really any better than them. In saying that though, I hope Leon does well.

[Greenforever]

Should give him pleanty of confidence playing in a team constantly winning good news for us. Hope he takes his chance and scores loads of goals.

[Leeside Swagger]

Good move for him, looks like he'll be in the premier league next year. Great news for us.

[sheao]

Good move for him, should bring him on another bit as a player aswell .

[Crosby87]

Goood move for him, the new colors are nicer.

[SkStu]

Good move for him, the fans there are sound.

[drummerboy]

Just read that Leon Best turned down the chance to wear the NO 9 shirt for his new club, Newcastle. He reckoned he hadn't earned the chance to wear it yet. Good attitude, I admire him for such an attitude. It bodes well for the future.

[TrapAPony]

Leon is set to make his debut for Newcastle tonight against Cardiff at 7.45pm.

[tetsujin1979]

not quite, Hughton has withdrawn the no9 jersey until one of the strikers on Newcastle's books prove they are worthy of it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hughton-uses-no-9-shirt-as-incentive-2049434.html

[drummerboy]

not quite, Hughton has withdrawn the no9 jersey until one of the strikers on Newcastle's books prove they are worthy of it: http://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/hughton-uses-no-9-shirt-as-incentive-2049434.html

Not according to the Daily Mail. I know its a rag but hey, so is the Indo.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1248618/Newcastle-striker-Leon-Best-turns-chance-wear-iconic-No-9-shirt.html

[geysir]

No big deal anyway, 8 is the new 9.

[SkStu]

i thought it was because 7 ate 9?

[irishfan86]

Scored a goal today in Newcastle's 3-0 win over Carlisle. This is going to be a big season for Leon. Newcastle don't look like they have a lot of money to spend, so he will probably be in the frame to play a decent amount of games, although he ended last season as a bench player after a stuttering start after his transfer from Coventry.

[Sullivinho]

Scored a goal today in Newcastle's 3-0 win over Carlisle. This is going to be a big season for Leon. Newcastle don't look like they have a lot of money to spend, so he will probably be in the frame to play a decent amount of games, although he ended last season as a bench player after a stuttering start after his transfer from Coventry.

They're woefully light up front for a team heading into a premier league season. I'd be surprised if they don't strenghten but if not, he should get a look-in.

[irishfan86]

They're woefully light up front for a team heading into a premier league season. I'd be surprised if they don't strenghten but if not, he should get a look-in.

They spent something like six million pounds on him in January -- he IS their attempt to strengthen! I think he just needed some time to settle in...hope he has a good season -- he'll need to!

[Charlie Darwin]

6 million for Best? The actual sum wasn't disclosed but it's believed to be around half a million on account of his contract only having 6 months to run.

I think the Premier League might suit him more than the Championship did. He didn't settle in well last season and was kept out by the prolific form of Carroll and Lovenkrands, but pace and power are much more important at the top level and he's comfortably superior in those respects. Whether he has the quality to take his chances is another matter though, as Lovenkrands is at least a proven top-flight scorer and Carroll showed some promise towards the end of their last spell in the Premier League.

[irishfan86]

My mistake on the transfer fee....for some reason that number was embedded in my head, but I did a quick google search there and you're right, clearly. Makes more sense as well!

[Sullivinho]

he IS their attempt to strengthen! I think he just needed some time to settle in...hope he has a good season -- he'll need to!

Very rough around the edges as a player, Leon. I dunno if I'd want to be pinning my survival hopes on him but absolutely, hope he has a great outing.

[AlaskaFox]

On the bench today for Newcastle against Chelsea.

[weldoninhio]

"Met" him out in a club a few months ago, proper big time charlie, came over trying to move me and others out of the area we were standing because he couldn't see the dancefloor from where he was sitting. Seemed to think he was someone very important. Told him where to go.

[mark12345]

"Told him where to go!"

Where did he go?

[The Fly]

To find a table with unobstructed views of the dancefloor, obviously.

[SkStu]

"Met" him out in a club a few months ago, proper big time charlie, came over trying to move me and others out of the area we were standing because he couldn't see the dancefloor from where he was sitting. Seemed to think he was someone very important. Told him where to go.

met him? or "met him" met him?

[tetsujin1979]

"Met" him out in a club a few months ago, proper big time charlie, came over trying to move me and others out of the area we were standing because he couldn't see the dancefloor from where he was sitting. Seemed to think he was someone very important. Told him where to go.
Probably went back to his mates and told them the same thing about you.

[livehead1]

"Met" him out in a club a few months ago, proper big time charlie, came over trying to move me and others out of the area we were standing because he couldn't see the dancefloor from where he was sitting. Seemed to think he was someone very important. Told him where to go.

Really? What club; I'll ask him? He isn't like that at all.

[paul_oshea]

i say weldoninhio saw some black lad and decided it was leon best.

[Paddy Garcia]

i say weldoninhio saw some black lad and decided it was leon best.

I think it was probably Clyde.

[weldoninhio]

Really? What club; I'll ask him? He isn't like that at all.

The Wright Venue, he was with Andy Keogh, Darren Gibson and Dean Kiely. From what i've heard he was brought out to his car surrounded by bouncers with a few lads trying to get at him. Seems like i wasn't the only one he acted the ***** with.

[shakermaker1982]

Why was Dean Kiely there?!

[SwanVsDalton]

Really don't like the 'met a player in a club' anecdote. An aul mate of mine once talked about meeting Shay Given in a club in Derry, went in to one about how arrogant and ignorant he was. I didn't think any less of Shay Given, but I definitely thought less of the guy telling me.

[paul_oshea]

Well i see your point but with no disrespect that can sometimes be because of an arrogance or naievty in that 'oh well i wasn't there' but if it happened to you you would be more believing and discerning.i certainly wouldn't have less respect for the person telling me but i would be more wary of both in the future.one from what he says and the other from an arrogance/ignorant point of view.i wouldn't like the idea of ppl only believing something when it only happens to them.

[SwanVsDalton]

Well i see your point but with no disrespect that can sometimes be because of an arrogance or naievty in that 'oh well i wasn't there' but if it happened to you you would be more believing and discerning.i certainly wouldn't have less respect for the person telling me but i would be more wary of both in the future.one from what he says and the other from an arrogance/ignorant point of view.i wouldn't like the idea of ppl only believing something when it only happens to them.

That wasn't my point - I did believe the guy, I just didn't care. Shay Given's a goalie, his personality doesn't interest me in the slightest. And him telling me came across as a bit of celeb tattle nonsense you'd get in the middle pages of Heat Magazine.

[geysir]

Not quite Paul, disbelief can rationally be parked away in an unsubstantiated zone , more so when the source is a gossip and especially more so when the gossiper is prone to posting attention seeking nonsense.

[paul_oshea]

Ya of course geysir that was what i meant by being wary of the person in future,however i was speaking from the viewpoint of it was the first time you heard this person say something like this.ya swan fair enough coming at it from a different angle thats fair enough,however the attitude reminds me of the local politics attitude!:p 'ah sure i don't care about that,isn't he doing a good job for me/us and looking after our interets anyway'.i.

[SwanVsDalton]

He is looking after our interests, by keeping the ball out of the Irish net! But I might become a bit more negative about Shay if he somehow:

A) turns out to be a criminal overlord, pulling the Irish government's strings to protect his greedy investment interests at the expense of the Irish people.

B) is running a shady smuggling operation across the border at Lifford, causing misery to thousands of local people.

C) has been spending his down time at Man City masquerading as an X Factor contestant called Wagner.

D) (re)signs for Celtic.

[tetsujin1979]

D) signs for Celtic.
He signed for them in 1992