da dobrowin： The 2010/11 Premier League campaign is a massive one for Newcastle as the Magpies look to re-establish themselves as a top-flight heavyweight, but for one of their players this season could be make-or-break. Wayne Routledge has had more clubs than he’d care to remember, having spent time at Palace, Spurs, Villa and QPR to name but a few. Since leaving Selhurst Park in 2005 the speedy winger has never really established himself as a top flight star, but at St James’ Park he has the perfect opportunity to do just that, but will he grab it with both hands this time around?
da betano casino： It would be fair to say that Routledge has hit the ground running at Newcastle since his January move. His has provided pace on the right to give the team balance alongside Gutierrez’s trickery on the left and the Toon had a much more dangerous look about them as a result. He terrorised the Championship defences and even chipped in with three goals, showing that the money invested in him by Newcastle manager Chris Hughton was well worth it. But we’ve seen all this before; will it just be another case of déjà-vu?
Routledge is a player who looks great on paper. He gives the team something that all managers want – pace, and that’s probably why so many gaffers have taken a punt on him. Hughton is the latest in a long list to place faith in the former England U21 international and having failed at so many clubs in the past, it’s hard to see why it’ll be different this time around. So is Wayne just destined to be a journeyman, someone who is a decent player but will never quite cut it at the highest level?
From what I’ve seen of Routledge in his six months at Newcastle I’d say not. We all know that Routledge has electrifying pace but something that’s really impressed me is his vision. Given his turn of speed defenders are always likely to back off, and on more than one occasion Wayne’s taken advantage of this, got his head up and played a delightful through ball, an attribute I wouldn’t have previously associated with him. This works to his advantage as defenders will then press him more closely, giving him the space to get to the by-line and deliver a cross, something he did yet again in the pre-season match at Carlisle on Saturday and something Newcastle will be relying on him to do week in, week out.
At just 25, Wayne Routledge has time on his side, but you feel that the chances are running out for the midfielder. Routledge is similar to a lot of players; he needs to add consistency to his game, but if he does he’ll become a hero at Newcastle as the Toon faithful love nothing more than a winger prepared to take players on. So far Newcastle are loving life in Wayne’s world, but will it continue and can Routledge make it at the very top as a destructive Newcastle number 10? The signs are promising…
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