Is Jonathan Woodgate the answer to Newcastle United’s defensive problems?
It is reported that Kevin Keegan is keen to make Jonathan Woodgate his first signing in his new spell as manager at Newcastle. There is little doubt that Newcastle need to strengthen their defence, but is Jonathan Woodgate the answer?
The 28 year-old centre half is reportedly unsettled at Middlesbrough, his hometown club, due to his inconsistent form. The one time certainty to be England’s main centre back for years to come has looked a shadow of the player he used to be this season.
Since leaving Middlesbrough for Leeds at the age of sixteen Woodgate has rarely been out of the news. Making his debut for Leeds at the age of seventeen he went on to play 104 games for them scoring 5 goals. His career took a downward turn when he was involved in the infamous disturbance outside a nightclub whereby an Asian youth was left with serious injuries. Despite being only one of many involved Woodgate was the only person convicted and was given community service for the offence of affray. The drawn out court case and all the publicity had a demoralising effect on the player.
In January 2003 Woodgate moved to Newcastle where he quickly established himself as a fans favourite with some excellent performances. Newcastle paid nine million pounds for him, but due to a serious injury they only saw him play 28 times for the club.
In August 2004 Real Madrid surprised the football world by taking him to Spain for 13.4 million pounds whilst he was still injured. He made no appearances in his first season with the Spanish giants and only 9 in total. In his debut for the club he scored an own goal and got sent off.
Last year in a poll on the website of Spain’s biggest selling daily sports newspaper Woodgate was voted the worst signing of the twenty-first century.
The centre back moved to Middlesbrough on loan in August 2006 and made the move permanent for seven million pounds in April last year. He has played 46 games for Boro.
Since leaving Leeds, in four seasons Woodgate has managed only 83 games and hasn’t scored. He was a great prospect but due to off the field problems and injury he has never developed into the player we all thought he would be. It would be great to see him flourish at a new club and get back into the England reckoning, but at the age of 28, with serious injuries behind him and a lack of consistent form it seems unlikely to happen.
I wish him well if he makes the move to join King Kev, but I don’t see him filling the enormous hole that appears in the Newcastle defence so often.
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They tried it once, it didn’t work, I don’t see why it’d work this time. Woodgate isn’t a quality defender andwhile he may have had the potential, he doesn’t have that anymore, it’s sad rally, but I don’t think King Kev should splash out cash to their North East rivals to buy a player who once played for the club had limited playing time because of his constant injuries and help fund Boro’s possible signing of Alfonso Alves. That’s not the smartest move in football, even by King Kev’s standards
no ones the answer as far as you are concerned not even king kev
What are you talking about? This guy is the best defender we have had wearing the black and white stripes in the last 20 years!!!! He is a different class and reads the game superbly well!!! His poisitioning is world class and his distribution is awesome!!! Yes the guys had his fair share of injury problems, but if he’s over them and he wants to be part of the new reign under King Kev then we should be pushing the boat out to get him!!! I and many of thousands of fans would welcome him back with open arms!!!
Howay Woodgate lad……u know it’s right!!!
he must live down south hes got bee in his bonnet
woodgate is the best defender i have ever seen, at newcastle or anywhere else.
we may have always had a shit defence, but we have had some excellent individual defenders over the years (albert for example) & woodgate is in a different league to all of them.
imho hes the best centre back in the world (when he’s actually fit to play) and if we can get him back we should jump at the chance, whether he’s on form or not.
i may be mistaken, but as i remember it, woodgate made 12 full appearances for real. of those 12 games, real kept 9 clean sheets & conceded 4 goals, 2 of which were own goals by woodgate!
as for the fans poll, i think you just made that up to make your story more dramatic, since i was actually in madrid last year & every fan i spoke to, whether supporters of real or any other club, thought he was excellent.
the real fans were certainly sorry to see him leave.
I didn’t mean anyone to think that I don’t like Woodgate. I know he was popular at Leeds and Newcastle, and that the Madrid fans had a lot of sympathy for him.
I didn’t make the poll up, it was real. I guess on the basis of nine games, two own goals and a sending off for 13.4 million, he was a pretty strong candidate.
I really hope he gets back to his best but I just fear that his best days are behind him.
No, I remember the fans poll that chose Woody as the worst defender. It was real.
Now, first of all, I think I should make the point that I’m a Boro fan, though one who would happily cash a very large cheque in exchange for Woodgate.
He was sensational at Newcastle last time he was there, though injuries did disrupt him somewhat. Last season, back at his hometown club, he was again excellent, putting many established Premiership strikers to shame - even matching Thierry Henry in every aspect on his debut.
However, if the chance of a big money sale came in, it would be too good to turn down. Not only would it put to bed the rumours that we are to sell Downing to fund a move to Alves (seeing as how the Woodgate money would do just that) but I believe we have better defenders at the club.
With David Wheater and Robert Huth having already forced Woody out of the side (as well as being younger, and looking more likely to help out at the other end of the pitch), Pogi having matched him last season, and Riggott waiting in the wings, he wouldn’t be a disastrous loss.
And a profit after just 6 months? If we saw a 8 figure sum, I don’t think we could say no.