Leon Best

[Agent Balti]

Didn't Marlon Harewood too?

What's your point?

[Hoop Blah]

Slagging off players like this is a bit like all the stick people like Ameobi gets.

He showed a couple of years back that, despite looking a bit average in the Premier League at times, he's actually a pretty good player and has too good for most of the Championship defences.

[Tilehurst End]

Surely it's not just a question of them offering Best as part of a deal.

Firstly we've got to want him and secondly he's got to want to come here, presumably taking a wage cut to do so.

[Wycombe Royal]

Surely it's not just a question of them offering Best as part of a deal.

Firstly we've got to want him and secondly he's got to want to come here, presumably taking a wage cut to do so.

Wasn't there some rumours in the January transfer window that we were looking at him. If there is any truth to this story then that might be why Pardew is offeringhim as part of the deal?

[JimmytheJim]

Didn't he score a Premier League hat-trick last season?

what's your point?

[No Fixed Abode]

Just seen this thread - I think i saw him at the Mad Stad yesterday in his Range Rover Sport HSE.

[Agent Balti]

Didn't Marlon Harewood too?

What's your point?

We're talking about Leon Best, not Marlon Harewood. Dat is da point!

[roadrunner]

Just seen this thread - I think i saw him at the Mad Stad yesterday in his Range Rover Sport HSE.

Draw a picture of FRO

[DOYLERSAROYALER]

An interesting take from a Newcastle perspective .....


There are rumours going around, which are probably false in fairness, about some form of swap deal being concocted between Newcastle and Reading.

Apparently the deal would involve Newcastle giving Reading Leon Best plus a fee of around £5 million for 24-year-old Shane Long.

If a deal was to be agreed it would then be up to the two Republic of Ireland internationals to agree a new deal with their respective clubs, but while Long may be keen to make the step up to the Premier League could we really envisage Leon Best being willing to ‘do a Nolan’ and drop down a division?

To be honest I’m not sure I’d want this mooted swap deal to happen. I’ve repeatedly stated my belief that Leon Best is perhaps the only one of last seasons strikeforce who deserves another shot at the Premier League through his performances on the pitch. Why offload someone who can actually score in this league instead of perhaps offloading an unwanted player with “potential”, like Nile Ranger for example?

In short there are plenty more players I’d like to see leave Newcastle ahead of Leon Best. I’d like him to resist any movement away from St James’ Park although I fear that he is one of the players Alan Pardew when he was prattling on about having to have a ‘chat’ with players about their role within the club.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d like Shane Long at Newcastle. He has a much better goalscoring record than Connor Wickham for example, having outscored him by a ratio of 3-1 last season. People fizzed about Wickham going to Sunderland, but I think Long’s record suggests that he would be the better addition if we are to take a punt on someone from the Championship. I wouldn’t swap Leon Best for him though, and yes, I never imagined I’d be saying that just 12 months ago, or even 6 months ago.

So what would you do? If your option was to pay a few million and give Leon Best away as part of the deal for Shane Long would you follow it up? Is it worth taking a punt on a Championship player, albeit a prolific one, at the expense of someone who has demonstrated that he will find the back of a Premier League net if given the chances?

I’d like Long at Newcastle, but at what expense?
R