Sho' them what you've got

To sum up the career of a footballer in one word is never particularly easy, or indeed fair. In the case of Shola Ameobi, however, I think that most people would agree that "frustrating" would be a pretty accurate assessment. This frustration comes from all corners. From the supporters that pack the terraces of St James' Park every week, to any one of the nine managers that he's played under during his time at Newcastle. Although there will be one person above all that feels short changed by it all, and that is Ameobi himself.

Celebrating one of his six against Sunderland

During his 11 years at United we have witnessed some great highs for the Nigerian born front man, as well as some miserable lows, but has the time now come to go one way or another - build the forward line of the team around Shola, or go our separate ways and start afresh?  


Physically Outstanding


On his day, Ameobi can be simply unplayable. Standing at 6'2, with a stocky frame, he has the physical ability to worry the most combative of defenses, not to mention a surprising turn of pace for a man of his size. It has been making good use of these attributes that has seen Ameobi score six times against Sunderland for Newcastle, making him the clubs second highest scorer against the Mackems. Impressively, Shola is also runner up in the table for European goals scored for the club with 12, with only record goalscorer Alan Shearer ahead of him.


His performances both in Europe and in the big derby matches against Sunderland have been fantastic over the years, and it could be argued that he is a big game player - the sort that you would build a front line around. However, massive inconsistency and a catalogue of injuries have left many of us asking whether we can pin such hopes on what too often are a weak pair of shoulders. 


Inferiority Complex?

Tough act to follow - Owen and Shearer

It can't be easy for a player to constantly be living in the shadow of big name strike partner, and it could be said to have effected Ameobi's confidence over the years, being used mainly as a substitute to the likes of Shearer, Owen, Martins and more recently Andy Carroll. Such is his will to impose himself on the first team that in the 2006/07 season he put off an operation to fix a hip problem that had been troubling him for a couple of years when the team were short of fit strikers, an opportunity for him to make a mark on the team. Commitment only gets you so far though.


Toward the end of the 2007/08 season, United actually loaned the big striker out to promotion chasing Stoke City, where, disappointingly, he managed only 6 appearances and failed to find the back of the net once. Following a proposed move to Ipswich which rather typically fell through due to failing a medical, Ameobi stayed with the team despite being relegated to the Championship. It perhaps speaks volumes that this was the only year that he managed to net double figures in the league, scoring 10 goals in Newcastle's march toward the title.


Lack of ambition?


This begs the question that if Newcastle are to part ways with Ameobi, is he good enough to play for another side in the Premier League? This is particularly difficult to asses due to never having played a full season as the starting striker. Even so, he has never in fact managed to score more than the 9 goals he netted in the 2005/06 season, a figure that would suit an attack minded midfielder more than 6ft target man. Had he found his level in the Championship last year?


It could be suggested that Ameobi has become a little too comfortable in his role as Newcastle's fall back guy, knowing that the pressure and expectation on him haven't matched those of the club. He has never really been the star man, so to speak, and maybe at a club with lesser ambitions to that of United he could realistically be the key player in another sides Premier League campaign. Perhaps being entrusted in being the man to get a team goals is what he needs, opposed to playing back up to a more glamorous number 9.


To play like a Number 9


The apparent lack of faith in Shola was shown at the beginning of the current season, awarding 21 year old Andy Carroll the famous number 9 shirt, showing the clubs intention that he was going to be the man to fire the Magpies to safety in the Premier League. But with Carroll now gone, is it time for Ameobi to step up to the plate?

The main man?

With Leon Best being ruled out for the remainder of the season, it leaves Ameobi as one of only two recognised strikers in the squad, and i fear that this may be his final chance to prove that he has a future at St James' Park. If he can lead from the front and really take the fight to opposing teams in the remaining handful of matches he could give Alan Pardew some food for thought as how to spend £35 million in the summer. For Shola Ameobi, he will have to play like every game is his last, knowing that they could well be just that.