What Do Newcastle Do With Marlon Harewood?
Marlon Harewood has revealed for the first time he wants to stay at Newcastle United rather than return to the Premier League with Aston Villa. The question is, does anyone at St James's Park want him?
This has been a difficult loan move for Harewood, who is in danger of allowing an excellent opportunity to escape the misery of Villa's reserve team pass him by.
As things stand, with Shola Ameobi close to a return to fitness, I don't think United will extend his stay, but he still has time to change their mind.
Harewood has scored just once in eight games for the Magpies and, although his performance was much improved against Peterborough United last weekend, will Hughton decide to keep him, particularly when he will not be able to guarantee first team football?
However, maybe that's wrong, From the point of view of the squad, while Harewood has hardly set the world alight - in fact he hasn't really even managed to lit a match so far - he does provide cover and viable competition for places.
Yes, Ameobi might be fit again, but how long until he breaks down? His body is fragile and it would be typical Newcastle if they allowed Harewood to go back to Villa Park the week before Ameobi or Carroll picked up a long term injury.
I was impressed for the first time with Harewood this week in an interview with The Journal. He has acknowledged his performances have not been good enough, but has decided to face up to the criticism rather than hide behind a wall of silence.
He clearly does want his move to Newcastle to be a success and, perhaps, with the prospect of what a return to Villa will mean for his career starting to dawn on him, he realises this is the last chance to galvanise things.
He is 30-years-old and if the move to Newcastle fails he is never going to get another move to a club approaching anything like its size and stature. This is make or break time and a few good displays between now and the end of December may shift things back in his favour.
To be fair to Harewood, he was short on fitness and sharpness when he arrived on Tyneside and has never had a solid run of games to get that back. Only now, he says, is he starting to feel like himself.
However, his body language has never seemed right on the pitch and it is up to him to prove he deserves to stay with actions and deeds, not words in an interview prompted by the likes of me!
He still has things in his favour. He is quicker than either Carroll or Ameobi and he is also settled into the squad.
If Newcastle look elsewhere in the New Year they've got to give that signing time to settle and adjust to the team's style of play. Harewood, if his performance against Posh is a barometer, is on his way to doing that.
And who else is out there who is going to be better than Harewood within the financial constraints Hughton is operating under?
Not many players spring to mind which is why a few good performances from Harewood could easily be enough to persuade the manager it is better to stick with what he already knows.
I'd like to see Blackburn's Benni McCarthy at SJP. The South African wants to leave Ewood Park and he wants to play regularly before the World Cup next summer so that he is assured of his place in the squad.
He may have offers from Europe, but I'd like to think Newcastle are aware of his situation and have made some sort of enquiry. We shall see!
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Luke Edwards - is Chief Sports Writer of The Journal and uses his blog to give a unique and entertaining insight into events at Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Hughton apparently turned down Jan Vinnegoor of Hesselink in favour of Harewood.
Not what the club should be looking to sign,perhaps a nice guy but also not a great technical player or particularly proficient when it comes to scoring, does provide a physical presence, then those guys are a dime a dozen.
Dont think so !
Restless Native...in reference to your point, thank god he did. Hesselink couldn't even score goals in the SPL. He is truly a terrible player, though I accept Harewood is not much better. Bin Harewood and lets sign a Man U or Arsenal youngster, someone with a bit of hunger, who will hopefully fall in love and stay at the toon.
Exactly. Let Harewood go. How about a deal for Sone Aluko from Aberdeen instead? Now that would show a bit more imagination.
So let me get this right Luke, you thought Harewood's performance "was much improved against Peterborough" and "if his performance against Posh is a barometer, he is on his way" to becoming "settled into the squad." Most significantly you were "impressed for the first time with Harewood this week in an interview with The Journal." So that is it, the sum total of the positives from his time at Newcastle!
One passable performance in a home game against the League's bottom club, whose chairman felt they played so badly he sacked the manager, all in the same week Harewood managed to string a few words together for the Journal admitting his performances had been crap and your impressed????
Jeeeez! The answer to the question: What Do Newcastle Do With Marlon Harewood? is simple, get shot of this donkey as soon as possible!
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink:
Celtic
2006-2007 Played 30 games Scored 18 goals
2007-2008 Played 46 games Scored 20 goals
"Couldn't even score goals in the SPL" eh?
I think he's on a different planet ability-wise to Harewood. He'd comfortably get 15 - 20 goals a season in the Championship. Harewood would struggle to hit double figures.
Jermaine Beckford is the player we should be buying. But he costs money.
I mentioned JVH only because he was free and better than Harewood. And the FCB only seems to do free.
Restless native, you clearly dont watch many SPL games. I could score 20 goals a season for Celtic. Seriously, the SPL is poor and the press up here slated him game after game. Having seen JVH in the flesh 5 or 6 times, I can assure you, he was and is an awful player. Not the answer! As for Beckford, I dont agree, he'd be out of his depth in the PL, scoring goals in League one is one thing, in the premiership, he'd fail. Newcastle could have used him in the Championship, but if we do get up neither Beckford or JVH is the man.
Never let the facts get in the way of a good opinion eh?!
No, you wouldn't score 20 goals a season for Celtic.
Yes, I have seen both JVH and Harewood play - and I stand by my point that JVH would do a better job for us in the Championship.
And Beckford may well struggle to step up to the Premiership - although that's far from being a given - but we're a CHAMPIONSHIP SIDE and there's a lot of football to be played before we're in the PL again. Beckford could help guarantee we got up.
Interesting that Shearer wanted Beckford. If anyone knows a good striker, I would suggest he might.
But hey, I'm sure you and Scottish press know best.
I would score 20 goals a season for Celtic! And do you know for a fact that Shearer wanted Beckford?? Did we ever actually read an interview that said, yes it is true I would like Beckford....NO! Just because he was a great striker does not mean he was/is a great manager or has an eye for a player. Souness was an excellent midfielder but he signed Amdy Faye who was abysmal. Face it 'Restless Native' JVH sucks, I challenge you to watch him live as I have, and Beckford will never cut it in the PL. What would be the point of shelling out millions on a player for half a season. I'll say it again, lets go for someone with potential from Arsenal or Man U. Once that joke of a cup competition is out of the way, they will need to farm out their reserves to get more experience, lets welcome them to the toon. Also lets try and be a bit optimistic eh? We will be a PL club next season
I like the thought of Benni McCarthy coming here, but he will want to be at a high profile club and the Championship isn't high profile enough.
As for the JC -v- Restless argument, I have to agree with JC that Beckford would be a bad idea. He isn't good enough for the Premier League and to spend that much money would be to signal your intent for next season. We have to plan for promotion and neither VoH or Beckford are Premiership class.
We need to sign a replacement before Harewood goes anywhere, but maybe we could hang on to him too? I thought he put himself out a bit against Peterborough, and if he can match his words with performances, there's no reason why he can't become an important player for us this term.