NUFC 2008 Player Stock Watch

[Dirt McGirt]

http://en.epochtimes.com/news_images/2004-9-16-shanghai-stock.jpg

My picks

Buy:
Taylor -look for improvement a rather weak buy at the moment
Faye - very strong performer buy now
Cacapa -solid
Beye -strong buy top performer
Enrique - good long term growth projected
Martins - possible downgrade to hold is in the works
N’Zogbia - hottest buy

Hold:
Milner - possible downgrade to sell with continuing inability to cross
Rozenthal - still needs time to settle but time is growing short
Duff - waiting
Viduka - very close to be downgrading

Sell:
Given- not the same old Shay downgrade from a hold
Geremi - could be a hold in the right postion
Owen - fools gold
Smith -clueless card machine
Butt - under performing aging player
Emre - ROI is poor sell!
Carr - You see this name in your portfolio fire your broker
Ameobi - sad but sell local or not
Barton - soon to be delisted liquidate

[Dirt McGirt]

http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/1521538/2/istockphoto_1521538_going_down.jpg

Buy:
Taylor -needs to become more consistent
Faye - African Nations duty and missed
Cacapa -solid
Beye - African Nations duty and missed, our best performer
Enrique - getting better every game, needs to learn English
Lua Lua - New addition looks to add pace and enrgy in aside lacking of both
Carroll - One for the future and the future is now

Hold:
Given- not the same old Shay but getting better, distribution is still very poor
Rozenthal - still needs time to settle but looks to be able to help as a DM
N’Zogbia - Looks poor in CM may need an extended rest to get back on track
Martins - African Nations duty, needs to get back in form
Keegan - Wait and see, needs time and lots of money.

Sell:
Viduka - unable to stay healthy, appears to lack fitness and motivation
Milner - just not good enough, unable to cross or defend and lacks pace
Duff - still trying to get match fitness, may be past it
Geremi - African Nations Duty and not missed
Owen - poor choice of captain
Smith -clueless card machine still
Butt - great heart but lacks ability now in the most crucial postion on the field
Emre - Lazy, ineffective save for the last 10 minutes, and a head case
Carr - Past it
Ameobi - Not good enough
Barton - out on bail needs to be sent packing

[JaredSS07]

I would move Duff into the hold category. He may not be as amazing as we expected, but has performed fairly well since coming back from injury. He is our only midfielder that will run at a defender.

[Dirt McGirt]

I would move Duff into the hold category. He may not be as amazing as we expected, but has performed fairly well since coming back from injury. He is our only midfielder that will run at a defender.After further review I agree.

Analysis
Of all of Big Sam's purchases last summer I would have to say his defensive signings have given the biggest boost to the club. Besides laying the foundation for a much improved back office staff Sam also leaves this club well stocked in the back. The new staff moving forward needs to focus on improving the DM spot and wing play on both flanks an addition of a creative two way midfielder. It's my view that signing an additional CB is not necessary until other more pressing needs are handled first.

Sam's Recruits

Buy:
Faye - African Nations duty and missed
Cacapa -solid
Beye - African Nations duty and missed, our best performer
Enrique - getting better every game, needs to learn English

Hold:
Rozenthal - still needs time to settle but looks to be able to help as a DM

Sell:
Viduka - unable to stay healthy, appears to lack fitness and motivation
Geremi - African Nations Duty and not missed
Smith -clueless card machine still
Barton - out on bail needs to be sent packing

Outlook
It's important that club management realize that the type of player needed is no longer the big name signing but the young and upcoming player that can become a top player with the right experience and coaching. It's also crucial that the club's scouting network is expanded and given top priority in order to fulfill Chris Mort's vision of an Arsenal style transfer program.

Finally it remains to be seen if the new management is up to the modern Premiership game which requires a lot more than man motivation and good will from the fans. It's my hope that KK will find an able and ready #2 to help strength the management teams tactical expertise.

[Shameus]

Buy:
Taylor
Faye
Beye
Enrique
N’Zogbia
Given
Milner

Sold:
Rozenthal
Duff
Viduka
Cacapa
Martins
Geremi
Owen
Smith
Butt
Emre
Carr
Ameobi
Barton

I am in favor of a massive clear out. Time to trim the fat big time.

On a Transfer front, I have 3 midfielders(central) that we could add that would instantly make our midfield better.

Jean Makoun (Cameroon International) plays for Lille, can pass very well and is a good tackling DM

Renato Augusto (U20 Brazilian National Team) plays for Flamingo, is suppose to be the next great Brazilian CM, have seen him play twice and he just slices defenses and midfields open with his passes.

Dudu Cearence (Brazilian National Team)-plays all over the midfield, is extremely creative and has had success in his national team and professional career.

[tigerdave]

I concur with Shameus. My suggestions for replacements can be seen in the transfer thread.

BUY
Given - Has he ever failed us?
Krul - Future No. 1.
Beye - Best player this term, an absolute coup in the transfer market. The one thing Big Sam got right.
Taylor - Future captain and a rock in the center of defense.
Faye - Second best buy of the summer, and the top-choice partner for Taylor.
Enrique - Getting better every game.
LuaLua - He'll be a good one in time, we think.
Carroll - We know what he can do at the reserve level, let's see him in the senior squad for a while.
Martins - Pace, pace, pace. Maddening as all hell because he's so inconsistent but he could thrive in Keegan's attack structure...maybe.

HOLD
Cacapa - Decent squad player and contributer.
Milner - Needs to do more than work hard and get off two decent crosses a game, but I'm not ready to give up on him yet.
Edgar - Could be great, could be pants. Either way will forever be ********ing mint.
Rozehnal - Give the man time. We've played him at four different positions in his debut Premier League season. That's a tough ask even for someone who's adjusted to the league and had years of experience.
Emre - I personally think he will leave, but I believe he could thrive in an attack-minded offense.
Duff - Wait and see what happens when he is back to full match fitness and has had some time to shake the rust.
Harper - Hold if we can, not sure we can however. Eventually he'll want to go try and claim an England place and the No. 1 shirt somewhere.
Butt - Hold for experience only, to pass onto the youngsters. Perhaps an assistant's role when he finally hangs it up.

SELL
Owen - Knee injuries kill your pace, and he doesn't have much else. Past it.
Viduka - When we said to park the ice cream truck in front the Gallowgate, we meant it figuratively.
Smith - Card machine whose best performances come when suspended. Geremi - Perhaps the worst buy of the offseason.
Carr - Deer. In. Headlights.
Barton - Never met a human punching bag he didn't like.
Ameobi - I think he's shot.

[colinh9]

Buy:

Faye - Has looked strong and promising when on the pitch. Easily been one of our better players.
Beye - By far my signing of the season. We haven't had a credible RB on the books in years, so its so nice to see this.
N’Zogbia - Young talent with a whole heap of potential. Need to sell Duff, and let him play in an AM role or an AML role. Putting him at LB is a poor choice, especially when I think Enrique is steadily improving there.
Martins - When he is confident he is a fantastic player. Big Sam made the big mistake of putting Owen ahead of Martins when its clear that the latter doesn't provide any threat, and the former a huge one. He should be our #1 striker and we need someone up there who can play with him.
Lua Lua - Looks very promising.
Krul - As TD said, our future #1

Hold:
Given - Poor distribution, a lack of organization in the back(for years now) put him in the hold category. Him saving our asses millions of times, and fantastic saves keep him out of the sell category. He's a world class keeper but he still has his weaknesses.
Harper - He's done well when called upon, and easily could be our #1 at the moment.
Edgar- Looks promising. A few more years being loaned out and hopefully he will be ready for the Prem.
Rozenthal - Didn't have the best of starts but I am confident he will steadily improve. He looks like he can at the very least be a useful squad player.
Taylor- For me, I just haven't seen the improvement I had hoped for in the past couple of years. But he still has a lot of potential and is still a quality squad player. I am starting to think he should not be starting.
Milner- Needs work on his crossing and final ball abilities, and could use some more pace but at least he threatens other teams. If he can reach the form we saw him in last year he is a fantastic player.
Enrique- Steadily improving but needs a bit more time. He's at least moving up in the stock watch, which is hard to say about the rest of the squad.
Cacapa- Hasn't been as bad as some think and I still think he needs time to adjust. New signings from lesser leagues are very difficult to judge within the first 6 months but he seems to be improving. If he hasn't by the end of the year then he's off.

Sold:
Duff - Maybe he needs more games but since his arrival at this place he has done nothing of worth. The best he can give us in a game is one or two encouraging runs or deep throw ins. He lacks pace, crossing abilities and skill frankly.
Viduka- Can't stay fit and even when he's out there he looks like he couldn't care less.
Geremi - What a waste of money. He can't defend, can't pass, can't do anything but run. Gives the ball away constantly. Probably the worst signing of the season.
Owen- He's not even half of his former self. His runs have been poorly timed, his touch off, his positioning increasingly poor. When Martins comes back he should be immediately benched, but instead he's given the captains armband. I hope Keegan, after he's watched some of our matches, realizes this.
Smith- Not only is he crap, but he's as big of a whiner as Cron. He does nothing but hustle and give away needless fouls and then get booked. If Geremi isn't the worst of the signings he surely is.
Butt- Useless. Too old now and all he can do is get into decent positions. His tackling ability has steadily decreased and his passing ability is all but gone.
Emre- At this point, just get rid of him. So many coaches have deemed him incapable of starting so they must have some point. Get in a real CM.
Carr - I don't even need to explain myself.
Ameobi - I haven't seen enough of him this year, and frankly while Martins is still gone I'd like to see him get a chance with Owen up top, but its unlikely that he will show us anything he hasn't already.
Barton - Scum is the best word to describe this kid, and nobody who consistently gets in trouble with the law should be on the pitch. It sets a very poor standard for the rest of the players and frankly he isn't even that good.

[BayernWake]

Stephen Carr is dead to me.

[tigerdave]

Stephen Carr is dead to me.

Ironically, he was our second best defender today. :eek:

[tigerdave]

I'm not addressing the youth players, just those who have played at the senior level for us.

BUY
Beye
Taylor
Krul
Harper
Lua Lua
Enrique

HOLD
Martins
Faye
Carroll
Edgar
Milner
Duff
Owen
Emre
Given - unless someone blows us away with an offer. He's been great for so long for us but the injuries are starting to pile up and it's really diminished his play.

SELL
Butt
N'Zogbia
Barton
Geremi
Viduka
Smith
Carr
Rozehnal
Ameobi

[bburgarelli]

I couldn't agree more with the above.

[tigerdave]

http://www.newyorker.com/images/2007/03/12/p233/070312_r16015_p233.jpg

BUY
Martins
Carroll
Beye
Faye
Harper

HOLD
Taylor
Enrique
Milner
Duff
Cacapa

SELL
Given
Owen
Emre
Butt
N'Zogbia
Barton
Geremi
Viduka
Smith
Carr
Rozehnal
Ameobi

[Dirt McGirt]

This summer should be interesting. I agree with the above except for Duff(downgrade to sell). Is it just me or does he seem to try and dribble too much rather then just getting an early ball into the box?

[tigerdave]

This summer should be interesting. I agree with the above except for Duff(downgrade to sell). Is it just me or does he seem to try and dribble too much rather then just getting an early ball into the box?

He runs at people when he should cross and crosses when he should run at people, but he's still more of an attacking threat down the left than anyone else we have in the squad right now, N'Zogbia included (namely because he just ends up running through the center of the park anyway).

[JayRockers!]

From NUFC.Com (www.nufc.com).

MVP:
The Indomitable Magpie

Having been stripped of the captaincy but restored to a regular first team berth under Kevin Keegan, our match record with Geremi continues to be worthy of note.

We originally wrote a piece when he was away on African Nations Cup duty with Cameroon (aka The Indomitable Lions) earlier in 2008, but his stats remain significant.

Looking at Premier League games only, Geremi has started all ten of our victories this season and four draws, as well as appearing from the bench in one other draw.

Without him on the field, we've won just three points of the 38 collected so far this season - from three draws.

It is fair to say however that Geremi's goalscoring and goal assists have been greatly boosted by his new KK-inspired berth on the right flank.

(Thanks to Paul McIntosh for reminding us about this) but as Chris Holt also points out:

We've only collected five points without Alan Smith on the field. There aren't many who would argue that Smith has contributed much to the other 33....our recent good form coinciding with his omission from the starting XI.

You pays your money and choose your stats....

Interesting, to say the least. Geremi was shite before he came back from ACN and Smith, as we all know, has been a bust.

Thx,

Jay!

[Russell1892]

Where do we stand at the minute? I think its fair to say that most of the first team players have seen their stock rise considerably over the last few weeks. But is it enough for them to still be around next season?

Players out in the summer: Duff, Smith, Cacapa, Carr, Rozenhal, Ameobi

I think its also likely N'Zog will go too... I'm torn about that one... while he's a great young player with potential, his whinging and wanting to leave the club every other week has been doing my head in for a while. (I wonder if he regrets not going to Fulham :rolleyes:).

Although Keegan has said Smith is a great boost to the dressing room (the Man Yoo players said the same when he was there)... seems a bit expensive keeping him around for that. Duff could still turn it around I guess... plus I doubt we'd get a decent price for him.

[mplsTOON]

BUY
Martins
Carroll
Beye
Faye
Harper
Owen
Viduka
Butt
Edgar(Fookin Mint!)

HOLD
Taylor
Enrique
Duff
Geremi
Barton
Smith

SELL
Cacapa
Emre
N'Zogbia
Carr
Rozehnal
Ameobi

There is a bit going about that Duff is key to Keegan's plans for the future. IMO he's a left sided Geremi ATM. He's better for the cross and defend from the left as opposed to the run at 'em with head down N'Zogbia, but I agree, I am torn on losing Zoggy.

I think I am the only one here who has really tried to pull for Cacapa so far. He actually has looked pretty good when he knows he has someone behind him besides the keeper, he is good in teh air but unfortunately he has no pace and is a Brazilian defender, which means he is more of a DM than a center half.

Smith, well yeah he is motivated, kind of reminds me of Bellamy(twat) without the pace, so if we keep him he's a sub.

Emre...<sigh> he's so frustrating. When he is on he's fantastic, when he's not he's,.. well, injured. Sell him back to Turkey, buy Arshavin.

Carr, Rozehnal, we may not get a good price for any. But thanks, good job, here's the door.

Ameobi, send him to Norwich with Roeder...He'll do very well there.

[Russell1892]

Cacapa reminds me of Boumsong - good defender (so I've heard) but not cut out for the PL. I think Duff could turn it round he's had a 'mare this season and I can't see anyone taking him off our hands. Plus you know what two-faced sluts we all are as supporters.... a couple of good games and we'll all be singing his praises.:rolleyes: That looks a long way off for Smith... he's been one of the worst players in the PL this season (officially at opta, thats not just my opinion.)

Milner is an interesting one, while undoubtedly talented and committed... I can count on 1 hand the decent crosses he's put in this season... plus he couldn't beat an egg a lot of the time. Probably our best player when we were playing shite. Once again I worry about talking about a player's potential until he's 27 (eg Ameobi, Dyer).

The squad is light on numbers so I wouldn't expect to see too many players leave.

[JaredSS07]

Geremi Out!

[Shameus]

BUY
Forster-1 of our 2 very good young keepers
Krul-1 of our 2 very good young keepers
Beye-Been our best defender so far this season
Faye-Is dominant in the air and strength in the back we need, needs a little help tactically
Edgar-Very good defensive prospect, deserves a spot next season or to go out on loan in the EPL.
Taylor-Been second best defender behind Faye this season
Enrique-Future looks bright at LB for the Toon for the first time in awhile.
Butt-is the engine in our midfield and has had a renaissance this season.
Owen-offensive catalyst this season.
Martins-we have no one on this team who can match his pace or work rate on the field.
Carroll-It's time he gets a permanent spot, takes Duke's spot with more mobility and better in the air.

HOLD
Given-Have too many keepers time to move Given or Harper to make room for Forster and Krul.
Harper-see above.
Duff-only reason not sell, is if we sell N'Zog we need cover on the left till we get more players in.
Barton-still not sold on him. Has to many "off"games for me.

SELL
Carr-injury concerns, and just not EPL starting material anymore.
Rozehnal-bad buy by Big Sam
Cacapa-see above
Emre-injury concerns and lack of work ethic.
N'Zogbia-Let the whinnier go.....but only for 10 mil plus.
Geremi-excess
Smith-leads the EPL in fouls and yellow cards, need someone who can play, not foul people.
Ameobi-excess
Viduka-good when ball is at his feet, but does nothing when can't get service.