Leon Best

**paul_oshea** · 06/04/2011, 1:03 PM

Not necessarily Stutts....tut tut.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/08/2011, 1:09 PM

Leon off the mark for the season, a tap in but they all count

**SwanVsDalton** · 28/08/2011, 1:18 PM

Just scored a second, very good finish from what I'm reading. Couple in the eye for Pardew and Trap, possibly.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/08/2011, 1:42 PM

Why for Trapattoni? Best was out injured for the end of last season and only just got back into the Newcastle side. There was no reason to call him up ahead of any of the strikers in the squad.
It's great that he has scored and will now be back in contention for a spot.

**SwanVsDalton** · 28/08/2011, 1:59 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Why for Trapattoni? Best was out injured for the end of last season and only just got back into the Newcastle side. There was no reason to call him up ahead of any of the strikers in the squad.
It's great that he has scored and will now be back in contention for a spot.

I know, I wouldn't have him in the squad either - just generally Best might feel aggrieved, possibly at both managers, and is responding on the pitch. Good for him.

**tricky_colour** · 28/08/2011, 2:22 PM

Originally Posted by Philly

Seems the Irish Newcastle trio of Ireland, Best and Folan have hit a sore spot with the fans after being pictured in a bar the evening before the Stoke game. Pardew is apparently unhappy. Hopefully Best doesn't see less action over this.

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/nort...9310-28369889/

Is that Ireland's wife?

**TrapAPony** · 28/08/2011, 3:03 PM

Originally Posted by tetsujin1979

Leon off the mark for the season, a tap in but they all count

Goals here :

**Stuttgart88** · 28/08/2011, 3:10 PM

Did Duff finish the game?

Best is an absolute brute of a player. Leon Beast more like.

**tricky_colour** · 28/08/2011, 4:49 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Did Duff finish the game?

Best is an absolute brute of a player. Leon Beast more like.

Duff played the full match according to the BBC.
Best was subbed on 78mins then oddly the sub Vuckic was himself subbed on 85.
I presume he was injured (or really crap lol) [edit - injured immediately]

Nice to see Best get a couple, should increase his chances of starting in future.

**rebelmusic** · 28/08/2011, 10:41 PM

Duff played the whole game to a chorus of boos anytime he touched the ball. He didn't play badly but was double-marked for the whole game.
Best scored one tap in and a bit of a cracker. He was subbed because of a slight injury to his foot (Was icing it after being subbed off)

Vuckic replaced due to a hand injury he got 5 minutes after coming on.

**tetsujin1979** · 28/08/2011, 10:43 PM

Just seen Best's goals on match of the day 2. First was a tap in from a rebound, but it showed good reactions to finish the opportunity. For the second, he received the ball with his back to goal, controlled it and spun, Cryuff turn style, to finish from close range.

**elroy** · 29/08/2011, 8:36 AM

Have we ever have so many good/in form striking options?!!?

I think Best offers something slightly different to the likes of Keane/Long and Doyle - something similar to the role Folan played against Italy in Bari.

**Stuttgart88** · 29/08/2011, 12:06 PM

Yep, agree.

Let's not get carried away though. Pardew called it right yestetrsday when he said that Best has got to prove himself consistently, not just in fits and starts. He's got to show that he's the main man and Pardew has said that now is his chance.

Both he & Walters are a handful and more deserving of a squad place than Keogh, likeable enough as Keogh is.

**Charlie Darwin** · 29/08/2011, 3:27 PM

I like Best but it's not Keogh who's keeping him out of the squad. Keogh is in the squad as a wide midfielder because none of our wingers are capable of getting into the box and getting on the end of crosses.

**geysir** · 29/08/2011, 6:21 PM

Charlie, you have found a meaning in Trap's use of Keogh out wide, that had eluded me.
Keogh is so fast he could get on the end of his own cross.

**the bear** · 30/08/2011, 10:57 AM

Originally Posted by geysir

Charlie, you have found a meaning in Trap's use of Keogh out wide, that had eluded me.
Keogh is so fast he could get on the end of his own cross.

he would have to make it up to row z fairly quickly

**Murfinator** · 30/08/2011, 11:44 AM

Pardew isn't keen on him at all from what I gather, the fact that he's behind Ameobi who has a mere 15 goals in his last 88 Premiership starts speaks volume for his standing there. Hopefully Best can convince him otherwise.

**Stuttgart88** · 30/08/2011, 12:52 PM

This is what Pardew has said publicly. More like the jury is out rather than "not keen at all".

http://www.journallive.co.uk/nufc/ne...1634-29319900/

I think it's a fair assessment.

**geysir** · 30/08/2011, 12:54 PM

I think Best is the kind of player, like Folan and Heskey, prone to tripping over a blade of grass and out for a month, career interreptus.

**zero** · 30/08/2011, 12:58 PM

i'm a newcastle fan so i've seen a fair bit of leon. a frustrating player it must be said - yes he scored twice against fulham, but he also played against scunthorpe on thursday and was very poor.

if he does get a decent run of games for newcastle, then a fairer assessment can be made - but as pardew says (and i don't often agree with him) - he still has quite a bit to prove.