For a lad who also excels at the long jump, the move from Serie A to England’s top flight has been quite a leap. After being stretchered off with a dead leg on his debut against Aston Villa, the £10m summer signing from Internazionale seemed to have made his breakthrough with three goals in September, only to find no cause since then for the trademark backflip with which he celebrates hitting the net.
Then, at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, when a 1-1 draw with Arsenal hinted at an end to Newcastle’s wretched form, there were glimpses at last of the player who scored 28 goals in 88 league matches for Inter. In partnership with the returning Kieron Dyer, he was a lively, threatening proposition in Alan Shearer’s No 9 shirt.
There is a way to go before he even comes close to justifying the transfer fee, but Glenn Roeder continues to stake his reputation on him. “That was his best game yet,” says the Newcastle manager. “At times, he was devastating against William Gallas and Kolo Toure, who you could easily say are both world-class defenders. Oba Martins is a quality player who scores goals. He will do it here, but people have to be more patient.”
Patience is a commodity in short supply on Tyneside, where fans have waited long enough for Albert Luque to come good, and gave up on the likes of Patrick Kluivert and Jean-Alain Boumsong months before their inevitable departures. The failure of big-money signings, particularly from abroad, has been a peculiar feature of Newcastle’s under-achievement in recent years.
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Roeder, though, insists that Martins will not be added to that list, and believes that every Premiership club has an assimilation problem. “We are nowhere near the stage where anyone should dare suggest that Martins hasn’t fulfilled his potential. He is only 22, and I’m sure living in Newcastle is slightly different from living in Milan. It is far too soon to expect that he has fully settled in. “Arsène Wenger has probably brought more foreign players to this country than any other manager, and he has said that it sometimes takes six, nine, even 12 months for them to settle into their new surroundings. It’s not just the culture of coming from Milan to Newcastle, it’s playing in the Premiership. There is no other league like it in the world. It is played at a high tempo and there is never a breather. Martins wouldn’t have been used to that in Serie A, and he wouldn’t have been used to starting every game, which he is expected to do now.”
While the Arsenal example strengthens Roeder’s case, the Portsmouth one does not. Harry Redknapp’s side, who visit St James’ Park this afternoon, have never looked back since he took over nearly a year ago, immediately signed eight new players — five of them foreign — and gradually pulled themselves clear of the relegation zone. The effect was instant, and the cost a fraction of that which has been thrown away on Tyneside.
Portsmouth, in fact, were Roeder’s first opponents when he took over as caretaker in February. Despite a 2-0 win for Newcastle that triggered a steady climb up the table, the two clubs’ roles have since been reversed. While United have failed to reproduce their cup form in the league, especially at home, Redknapp’s side entered this weekend’s schedule third in the Premiership.
That Portsmouth lack Newcastle’s resources is perhaps to their advantage. Unable to boast the silly money that prices other clubs out of the market, they are less likely than Newcastle to attract players of questionable hunger. Sunderland’s manager, Roy Keane, admitted only last week that he was fed up negotiating with prospective signings whose priority was the salary.
While Portsmouth have thrived this season on the experience and professionalism of David James, Sol Campbell and Andrew Cole, only the last of whom commanded a transfer fee, Newcastle cannot shake their reputation as a graveyard for talented players who haven’t quite made it amongst the elite. The victims are not so much foreign players as expensive ones, and it is to be hoped that Damien Duff, a £5m signing from Chelsea, can buck the trend in the way Scott Parker has.
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Martins, it should be stressed, has been a casualty of the health problems around him. Injuries to Michael Owen, Shola Ameobi and Antoine Sibierski have denied him a regular striking partner, which leaves Roeder wondering if the return of Dyer could be the answer. “Oba is a super lad to work with, he is not being weighed down by the price tag, and he has integrated well into the squad. He just hasn’t been able to find a regular partner. That’s hardly his fault. When we find one that suits him, and all the other factors fall into place, he will score lots of goals here. I have no doubt about that whatsoever.”
Waidi Akanni, of the Nigerian FA, upset the Newcastle manager last week by telling Martins that he had chosen the wrong club, and that he should leave St James’ Park at the earliest opportunity. If Roeder’s faith in him is any indication, the player would be wise to wait a while yet.