Newcastle, give Hugo Viana chance

Hugo Viana can play.

Mercurial, a bit self interested, a bit whiny, yes. A troublemaker? In the Laurent Robert mold? No, I think Bobby Robson promised him a lot to move there. He was mad about it and didn't handle it well.

At the time Hugo Viana was the most sought after teenager in Europe. The reality of the competition for places in the club and other ego’s was different. Newcastle, remember were ecstatic to get him.

Whether it was Viana or Newcastle that didn’t deliver, I don’t exactly know. I didn’t see a lot of the games he did play in. I read him crying about it when he didn’t play, that’s for sure.

The reason I write he should get a chance is because Newcastle need players that can create. He hopefully has something to prove, and he even has a real footballer's number now.

Viana, when the temperature is just right, when his boots are just so tight and didn’t get up too early for the flight, can play.

We gotta work on the other stuff, especially since the Newcastle fans have a reasonable bone to pick.

Viana, for all his talent, could have handled the whole thing differently. Think about all the Robert episodes, the fact that Gary Speed is gone; if only he was more patient, he’d of had many chances by now.