Routledge in need of a top United show

Nov 27 2010 by Luke Edwards, The Journal

Wayne Routledge is in danger of becoming a spare part at yet another Premier League club and the winger is determined to stop that happening at Newcastle United. Chief Sports Writer Luke Edwards reports.

THERE is a rather cruel joke about Wayne Routledge suggesting he has had as many clubs as the world’s number one golfer Lee Westwood and just as many Premier League goals as well.

Newcastle United are Routledge’s sixth top-flight club at the age of just 25, yet he has never found the back of the net in that division and has never managed to live up to the hype which surrounded him as a teenager at Crystal Palace and Tottenham.

The number of moves – eight in total – paint a picture of a player who is too good for the Championship but unable to maintain that form when he steps back up to the Premier League.

Hugely promising at Palace, he failed to settle at Spurs and was loaned out to Portsmouth and Fulham before a permanent move to Aston Villa saw him play just two games for the Birmingham club.

He then went back to the Championship, firstly on loan at Cardiff and then with a return to London to sign for Queen’s Park Rangers.

There is talent there, hence why Chris Hughton, who had worked with him at Tottenham when he was assistant manager, spent more than £1m to bring him to St James’ Park almost a year ago.

Routledge continues to flatter to deceive at the highest level and has not started a league game for the Magpies since the 2-1 home defeat by Stoke City in September.

A potent creative force as United steamed their way to the Championship title earlier this year, the winger is once again in danger of losing his way on Tyneside.

Fail at St James’ and he must realise there are unlikely to be many other chances for him to prove he can cut it against the country’s best full-backs. Interestingly, though, Routledge may well benefit from Newcastle’s dismal defeat at Bolton Wanderers last weekend.

Without a win in their last three games, and with that heavy defeat at the Reebok Stadium still stinging, Hughton may well decide to freshen things up against the Blues.

The lack of pace in the side has been a concern and, with Joey Barton serving the last game of a three-match ban this weekend, Danny Guthrie could be moved into the middle of a five-man midfield against the reigning Premier League champions – creating space for Routledge on the right.

It is then down to him. Quick and at his best, direct and dangerous, able to cut inside or fly down the wing, Routledge does offer something different.

The question is, is he confident enough in his own ability to actually deliver it?

After so many clubs, so many moves, so many settling in periods and so many failed attempts to perform consistently in the top flight, he needs a big performance .

Not just to silence the critics, but to also gain the self-belief he needs to convince himself he can do the same things to a Premier League full-back as he can to a Championship one.

In fact, if he can have a good game against Ashley Cole, arguably the best left-back in the world, when Chelsea land on Tyneside, it might just be the spark his career needs to re-ignite. Routledge, whose discomfort when doing media duties can be seen as arrogance, or simply shyness, said: “If Cole is not the best then he is definitely one of the best left-backs in the world.

“He goes forward, he can defend well, he rarely gives the ball away.

“He recovers unbelievably well with his great positional sense if you get past him.

“Everyone wants to play in the Premier League against the best players there are and, hopefully tomorrow, I will get to do that.

“He is a bit older than me, I probably came up against him for Crystal Palace against Arsenal then.

“It was a long, long time ago. It is going to be tough for anyone who plays against him.

“He attacks very well in an attacking side where both full-backs bomb straight on to provide extra width to the team. He gets up and down the flank unbelievably well.

“In my position I am used to going forward and then tracking back. It will be a very testing game.

“There are no easy games in the Premier League, but that is especially the case against Chelsea with the squad they have.” The fact this game comes after the division’s leaders have lost two league games on the trot will ensure Carlo Ancelotti’s side are primed to produce something special in the North East to re-establish their title credentials.

In normal circumstances, Newcastle might fear a hiding, but Hughton’s side have produced their best performances against the best sides, both home and away, and we have come to expect the unexpected in the Premier League this season.

Routledge added: “I would not say they are daft results, it shows how open the league is. Any team can beat any other one on a given day, that is the way it is going, it is open this year. We have just been promoted and we are going to have ups and downs, it is how you bounce back from the downs that counts most.

“After Saturday’s result everyone is looking forward to it.

“They want it to come round as soon as possible, and there is no better team to play against than the Champions in front of a full house and an amazing atmosphere. I cannot wait.

“They are hurting, it is not that many times where they lose games on the bounce, so you have to be wary of them.

“We have nothing to fear, you have to go into every game thinking you can win. There is no point in playing if you do not believe you can win.”