Edgar waits for call to start

[georg]

From KW Record

http://news.therecord.com/Sports/article/464964

Edgar waits for call to start

December 30, 2008

Josh Brown

RECORD STAFF

Scoring goals against the English Premier League's top soccer club is becoming a tradition for Kitchener's David Edgar.

The Newcastle United defender burst onto the scene with his game-tying marker against mighty Manchester United two years back in his home debut at St. James' Park in northeast England. This past Sunday, the 21-year-old scored his second pro goal, this time against first-place Liverpool.

Edgar scored on a header off a corner kick just before half-time to bring the Magpies within a goal of the lead, but the Reds went on to win 5-1 to put Newcastle at 5-7-8 on the year.

"I've seen all the pictures and replays and I jumped pretty high to be fair," said Edgar, when reached at his home in Newcastle. "It was a good header. I don't score many with my head. It's not really me. But I was happy about it and definitely took it well."

Making the play extra special was the fact that mom Christine and sister Joanne were in the players' box watching the match. It was Christine's first time seeing her son live in a league game at the Newcastle stadium perched high above town.

"Apparently my mom was in tears in at half-time," said Edgar. "She was loving it. I've never seen someone so nervous in my life. She was almost sick to her stomach when I walked in and told her I was starting."

Edgar left Kitchener when he was 14 to join Newcastle United's academy and has worked his way up from prospect to mainstay on the senior side, dressing for all but four of the Magpies' 22 matches this season. And while playing time has been scarce, United thought enough about the Canadian centre-back to keep him on the squad instead of sending him out on loan earlier this month.

It hasn't exactly been a stable year for the storied franchise. The club has been put up for sale and then taken off the market. It has posted three different managers at the helm in the past year and is still in danger of being relegated to the Championship League.

Current skipper Joe Kinnear appreciates hard work and Edgar is hoping his latest header, and solid play, will help him garner more minutes on the pitch.

"This gaffer has shown that whoever is playing the best plays," he said. "If I get a run on the team and get four or five games under my belt, who knows what can happen from there?"

Edgar spent yesterday eating pizza and analyzing game tape from the Liverpool fixture. He's hoping to get the call to start in Saturday's FA Cup match against Hull City.

His contract is up in spring, though the club will have to offer him a new deal if he appears in three more games. He wants to stay in Newcastle but isn't sure where he'll end up. Playing time is paramount and if he isn't going to be used much, he'd like to seek employment elsewhere. The EPL's transfer window opens back up in January, but Edgar hasn't received any indication from the club about its future plans for him.

"I went out and played against the league leaders and showed that I can play," he said. "Newcastle is home. I've got a house here, friends and family. But I moved away when I was 14 and I don't have a problem moving anywhere else to get what I want in playing football."

jbrown@therecord.com

[sstackho]

Goal proves no Christmas present for Edgar

By LEE RYDER

412 words

29 December 2008

The Evening Chronicle, Newcastle

43

English

© 2008 The Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Ltd

DAVID EDGAR has revealed his dejection after his goal against Liverpool failed to spark a revival against the Premier League title hopefuls.

The Canadian - who scored almost two years to the day against Manchester United at St James's Park - was on target on the stroke of half-time with a fine headed effort.

That goal hauled his side back into things against the Merseysiders after what can only be described as a first-half pummelling.

Amazingly, after Shay Given's master class in goalkeeping in the first period, United went in with their tails up and still in the game, but failed to halt the capitulation against Liverpool.

Edgar told the Chronicle: "It was a day of mixed emotions for me.

"It was incredible to score against Liverpool, who are another big team, and in front of my mother who was at the game over from Canada for Christmas.

"But it's bitter-sweet because of the result.

"To be honest, I don't score too many headers, and it's not a big thing for me.

"It was a good finish and I was ecstatic.

"It gave us a lift at half-time, but the third goal killed us off from another set-piece.

"But without Shay, it could have been four or five in the first half.

"We held off before half-time, and that usually gives a team a boost.

"We did come out flying for the first five minutes, but they scored soon after."

Edgar was left cursing himself after conceding a penalty for a trip on David Ngog which handed Xabi Alonso a spot-kick as the goals continued to flow in the second period.

"We weren't happy with the way we defended our set-pieces or the way we defended overall," Edgar added. "We were never going to give up and keep fighting.

"It was difficult to take and conceding a penalty was hard for me personally. But we have to battle on."

United have a tough game against Hull City in the FA Cup at the KC Stadium next week, which can keep Newcastle's ailing season alive.

Edgar said: "It's an important game for everybody.

And on the announcement Mike Ashley had taken the club off the market, Egdar added: "We just have to play football and we don't have any control over what is happening off the pitch."

[piltdownman]

Did anyone watch the match? I did, and while he was able to head in a goal in a scramble he was responsible for three goals against including conceding a penalty. You do the math.

[youllneverwalkalone]

quote:Originally posted by piltdownman

Did anyone watch the match? I did, and while he was able to head in a goal in a scramble he was responsible for three goals against including conceding a penalty. You do the math.

If you took Pique or Zapata or one of Edgar other peers and put them at right back after sitting on the bench for much of the season and ask them to mark Babel, they would struggle. I'd agree that the goal doesn't mean much, except that the really good defenders to find a way to contribute elsewhere. Not sure Edgar can play everyday in the EPL, but a good test would be for Newcastle to play him. Otherwise transfer him, or sign and loan him, to a CCC club or, better yet, a Dutch club. I have a feeling that if he stepped into an established backline he would do very well. And that certainly includes Canada with Stalteri, McKenna, and Klukowski.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by youllneverwalkalone

If you took Pique or Zapata or one of Edgar other peers and put them at right back after sitting on the bench for much of the season and ask them to mark Babel, they would struggle. I'd agree that the goal doesn't mean much, except that the really good defenders to find a way to contribute elsewhere. Not sure Edgar can play everyday in the EPL, but a good test would be for Newcastle to play him. Otherwise transfer him, or sign and loan him, to a CCC club or, better yet, a Dutch club. I have a feeling that if he stepped into an established backline he would do very well. And that certainly includes Canada with Stalteri, McKenna, and Klukowski.

Have you seen how Pique is playing this year, starting centre back for the least scored on team in Europe's big leagues. I think his quality is incredible, if it weren't for the duo at Man Utd who are also top level I am sure he'd be getting minutes there too. But he does not play on the outside and I think it would be tougher for him, he lacks the pure speed and quickness. Another peer would be Fazio, the Argentine back at the U-20s, he is doing well for Sevilla and like Pique could also play holding mid. These guys are way better than Edgar but they were two years ago as well.

I still think Edgar has a future and the experience is going to help him grow immensely.

[youllneverwalkalone]

^I didn't mean to suggest that Edgar is as strong a footballer as Pique, just that they are the same age, and their natural positions are CB, (and maybe DM) not RB. And that Liverpool is a very difficult squad to deal with for a young man out of position, particularly when the rest of the backline is more or less in shambles.

As an aside, Football Matters was discussing the possibilty of Steven Taylor to Arsenal.

[trueviking]

quote:Originally posted by piltdownman

Did anyone watch the match? I did, and while he was able to head in a goal in a scramble he was responsible for three goals against including conceding a penalty. You do the math.

i disagree completely with your assessment that he was responsible for 3 goals...even the commentator said "he had defended well all night"

i do find the negative attitude towards edgar on this forum a bit baffling...he's a 21 year old kid who has played only a handful of games in his entire career and he was asked to step in to play against one of the best teams in the world...cut him a bit of slack...even a vetran would have a hard time coming off the bench to play liverpool...nevermind a kid trying to develop his skills....what was this, his fifth or sixth ever professional start?

he is the reserve captain and has been retained by a premiership club for 3 seasons...they see him every day...i am sure they see some potential in him.

he is playing the highest level of football of any canadian right now....why does everyone crap all over him every time he gets a chance?

[sstackho]

I watched the extended highlights. Although I can't say that Edgar played well from what I saw, I most certainly did not notice him to be involved in any of the goals other than the penalty he conceded and the header he scored.

Just going off of memory here...

[SthMelbRed]

quote:Originally posted by piltdownman

Did anyone watch the match? I did, and while he was able to head in a goal in a scramble he was responsible for three goals against including conceding a penalty. You do the math.

If you think he was responsible for three of the goals, then you're out to lunch, mate. I watched the whole match and other than the penalty, he wasn't at fault for any of them. The first goal was off a great move by Liverpool down the opposite wing from where Edgar played and a cut back to Gerrard, who was not picked up by anyone. the second was scored by Hyppia making a mug of Collocini off a corner. The third was in a goal line scramble where two other Newcastle defenders had a chance to clear but failed. The fourth was another Collocini horror show. I defy you to back up your assertion with any facts.

[tmcmurph]

quote:Originally posted by sstackho

I watched the extended highlights. Although I can't say that Edgar played well from what I saw, I most certainly did not notice him to be involved in any of the goals other than the penalty he conceded and the header he scored.

Just going off of memory here...

Same here. I saw only the foul in the box as Edgar's fault for a goal. Newcastle's goalie deserves an apology from the whole team. It could have easily been 6-1 at the half! The whole team didn't seem to show up today, just ball watching on most of the goals.

[JoeSoccerFan]

Regardless of whether you think Edgar was responsible for any of the goals conceded, you have to admit that the fact that he is getting any playing time for an EPL squad puts him close to the top of the defensive depth chart for the CMNT.

Given the Stalteri has played far less for a similar quality squad, you'd think that Edgar will soon be a mainstay at CB for Canada. At this point I would rate him higher than all of Stalteri, DeJong and Serioux not to mention Brennan and some others.

[masster]

quote:Originally posted by JoeSoccerFan

Regardless of whether you think Edgar was responsible for any of the goals conceded, you have to admit that the fact that he is getting any playing time for an EPL squad puts him close to the top of the defensive depth chart for the CMNT.

Given the Stalteri has played far less for a similar quality squad, you'd think that Edgar will soon be a mainstay at CB for Canada. At this point I would rate him higher than all of Stalteri, DeJong and Serioux not to mention Brennan and some others.

^ I can not disagree more. Right now, how can you honestly say that you would choose Edgar over Serioux? That is insanity! Everygame Edgar plays in, he looks poor. I don't care if it is the EPL.

[BearcatSA]

I didn't see this game, so regardless of what did or didn't happen on the pitch I still definitely feel this young man needs to be on the speed-dial list for MNT squad call ups and, regardless of the manager in charge, I'm sure Edgar will do his best to be available. He still has a number of areas upon which to improve (he'll tell you that himself, I'll bet!) but as stated by trueviking, the Newcastle coaching staff see the upside of keeping him, as reserve team skipper no less.

As to whether he is currently better than Stalteri, De Jong, Serioux or Brennan, the answer is no. But when I think of Edgar I compare his situation to that of a young NHL prospect, usually a defenceman, who needs just a little more time to fill out physically and hone the other areas of his game.

[SthMelbRed]

In response to some unwarranted criticism directed at David Edgar about his performance against Liverpool, I have just rewatched the match and made the following observations:

*in the first half, Liverpool had ten clear goal scoring opportunities.

-2 resulted in goals.

-2 were just off target.

-5 were saved by Given (in spectacular style).

-1 was cleared off the line by the midfielder on the post.

-for only 2 of those 10 chances could the blame be placed on Edgar, neither of which resulted in a goal.

*Edgar scored a very good goal just at the stroke of half-time to give his team a chance, despite being utterly dominated.

*in the second half, Liverpool had six scoring opportunities.

-3 resulted in goals.

-1 was a goal incorrectly ruled out for offide.

-1 was saved by Given (again, in spectacular fashion).

-1 was headed wide.

-the only one of those that could be blamed on Edgar was conceding the penalty that lead to the fifth goal.

*additionally, on four occasions in the second half, Liverpool tried to isolate Edgar in one-on-one situations with Babel. Edgar played all but one sensibly and held off committing to the tackle until Jonas Guttierez was in position to mop up behind him when Babel knocked the ball past. On one occasion, Edgar committed early and was left for dead. Luckily for him, Guttierez was able to snuff out the danger.

Liverpool goals:

1. Gerrard scores after a cut back from Benayoun after good build up down Newcastle's left wing. NUFC players at fault were Jose Enrique and Collocini.

2. Hyppia scores on a header direct from a corner. NUFC player at fault is Collocini.

3. Babel bundles home after a goal mouth scramble from a corner. NUFC players at fault are Given, Collocini, and Butt.

4. Gerrard scores after breaking in the clear onto a superb pass from Lucas. NUFC player at fault is Collocini.

5. Xabi Alonso converts the penalty after Edgar brings Ngog down in the box.

Clearly there was somebody in the Newcastle back four who was out of his depth. It's also clear that it wasn't David Edgar.

[JoeSoccerFan]

quote:Originally posted by masster

^ I can not disagree more. Right now, how can you honestly say that you would choose Edgar over Serioux? That is insanity! Everygame Edgar plays in, he looks poor. I don't care if it is the EPL.

You are entitled to your opinion, but you are implying that the level of competition doesn't matter in judging a player's performance...do you really believe this?

Put another way - do you think Serioux would perform substantially better than Edgar in the EPL, against Liverpool? I would argue that if he had shown that potential he would be playing in the EPL some time ago, rather than a brief stint at Millwall in the Championship.

[masster]

quote:Originally posted by JoeSoccerFan

You are entitled to your opinion, but you are implying that the level of competition doesn't matter in judging a player's performance...do you really believe this?

Put another way - do you think Serioux would perform substantially better than Edgar in the EPL, against Liverpool? I would argue that if he had shown that potential he would be playing in the EPL some time ago, rather than a brief stint at Millwall in the Championship.

I never ment to imply that the level of competiion does not matter (although rereading my post, it sure sounds that way). What I am trying to say is that Edgar continually looks poor. He does not look confident on the pitch. That is the last thing you need in a CB.

Plus, I think Serioux is a much better player now than he was during his time at Millwall. He has developed and matured substantially, which is clearly displayed by his much improved play at the international level.

Judging their performances today while taking into consideration their level of competition, I believe both Edgar and Serioux are Championship level players. Serioux is just better.

[masster]

^One more thing, notice that from the debacle versus Liverpool to the 3rd round tie in the FA Cup v Wigan, the only substitution to the back line was the removal of Edgar.

[piltdownman]

^Small correction it was Newcastle v Hull in the FA cup ... although it was forgettable

[SthMelbRed]

^Don't take the fact that he didn't keep his spot as some indication that he was the worst defender of the Newcastle back four in the Liverpool match. He was dropped because the regular right back, Bassong, was back from suspension. If anybody deserved to be dropped for the shambles versus Liverpool, it was Collocini, and probably even Taylor.

[masster]

quote:Originally posted by piltdownman

^Small correction it was Newcastle v Hull in the FA cup ... although it was forgettable

You are correct. Wigan played Tottenham. I watched both games while I was half asleep.

[masster]

quote:Originally posted by SthMelbRed

^Don't take the fact that he didn't keep his spot as some indication that he was the worst defender of the Newcastle back four in the Liverpool match. He was dropped because the regular right back, Bassong, was back from suspension. If anybody deserved to be dropped for the shambles versus Liverpool, it was Collocini, and probably even Taylor.

No. Bassong replaced Taylor at CB and Taylor moved over to take Edgar's RB spot. I doubt Kineer would have done all this shuffling if he was happy with Edgar's play.

[BearcatSA]

quote:Originally posted by masster

No. Bassong replaced Taylor at CB and Taylor moved over to take Edgar's RB spot. I doubt Kineer would have done all this shuffling if he was happy with Edgar's play.

This is quite the micro-discussion, similar to watching Olympic fencing: point and counterpoint, thrust and parry.

[SthMelbRed]

I watched the Liverpool match in full twice, the second time just to analyse David Edgar's performance. There is no reasonable argument that he was the worst player in the Newcastle back four. The fact that Taylor is the current Toon golden boy and vastly overrated by Newcastle fans and the English media has to be playing a massive part in the fact that he's getting a free pass for Newcastle having a **** defense while Edgar is being overly scapegoated. Collocini was the worst player on that day and most days since he signed for the Toon. Edgar has hardly featured all season. You can't blame a player on the bench when the defence is horrible all season based on the fact that they shipped five goals in the one game that he did play.

[Cheeta]

^

What you wrote about Taylor. I'm trying to keep an open mind about the young man but honestly, I don't get it. I really don't. And Collocini? OMG. He's so out of rhythm it's almost painful to watch. And I LIKE Collocini.

After Edgar didn't get loaned out, a-gin, for no other reason than "just because-just in case" I wrote off any useful future at Newcastle for Edgar. That mad-house has shown it's willing to sacrifice his long term development for a sliver of their own short term gain. And by sliver I mean next to nothing. They (NUFC) have sold Edgar's development cheap.

That would tell me everything I needed to know about what my club thought of me and my potential. And besides that lets face it, how long do you wait for things to improve within the club, a club under the stewardship of Joe Kinnear?

Geezus...Run, David! Run!

[Mazha]

Who's MENTORING this young Canadian man? Then we, as Canadians, wonder what's wrong with our National Team!