Scottish Mag 3 Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 Newcastle manager Graeme Souness has challenged defender Titus Bramble to prove once again he can be a genuine force in the Premiership. The 24-year-old has alternated between the sublime and the ridiculous during his time on Tyneside. His career has been littered with high-profile blunders, but the fact is when he is on top of his game he is actually a formidable defender who is comfortable with the ball at his feet, and one who has the ability to pass accurately over long distances. Sadly for the Ipswich-born player, a £4.5m signing from the Suffolk club in the summer of 2002, he has earned himself a reputation for being error-prone. And the needless lunge which handed Aston Villa midfielder Gareth Barry the chance to claim victory from the penalty spot two weekends ago earned him a dressing down from Souness. "Titus would be the first one to hold his hands up and say `I just knocked off, I don't know what was in my head at that vital time'," Souness said. "But from Christmas-time to May last year, nobody was criticising Titus because he was outstanding for us. That's where Titus has to get back to. "Titus was truly outstanding, and that's the Titus we want from now until the end of the season." Bramble responded in exactly the way his manager had hoped on Saturday as he and the equally-derided Jean Alain Boumsong kept Arsenal duo Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie at bay to lay the foundation for a precious Premiership victory. But it is the consistency he displayed last season, when he put together a run of 16 games in which he was near-faultless before succumbing to injury, which Souness wants him to replicate. Bramble was rushed back from a hernia operation for the UEFA Cup quarter-final second leg clash with Sporting Lisbon in Portugal, and put in a superb display until he was forced to limp off. Following his departure, the Magpies conceded three times and slipped out of the competition with a 4-1 defeat. Souness is desperate for his two senior central defenders to form the partnership he believes they can. Indeed, 19-year-old Steven Taylor has proved the most reliable central defender at the club so far this season, although he is out for several weeks after partially re-dislocating his shoulder in training last week. The teenager is due to see a specialist this week, but amid concerns he may have to have the shoulder pinned, a procedure which would mean an extended spell on the sidelines, Souness needs a major return from the more experienced duo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0 Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 Would have liked the headline to be: Bramble thrown down well by United boss Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3508 Posted December 13, 2005 Share Posted December 13, 2005 Would have liked the headline to be:Bramble thrown down well by United boss 67564[/snapback] personally I would of prefered: United boss thrown out after going down on Bramble, Dyer follows wanting to join the party! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocChip 0 Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Would have liked the headline to be:Bramble thrown down well by United boss 67564[/snapback] personally I would of prefered: United boss thrown out after going down on Bramble, Dyer follows wanting to join the party! 67598[/snapback] Latent gay fantasies tbh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snakehips 0 Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Would have liked the headline to be:Bramble thrown down well by United boss 67564[/snapback] personally I would of prefered: United boss thrown out after going down on Bramble, Dyer follows wanting to join the party! 67598[/snapback] Latent gay fantasies tbh 67681[/snapback] Rather than latent, I would say openly!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammynb 3508 Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 Would have liked the headline to be:Bramble thrown down well by United boss 67564[/snapback] personally I would of prefered: United boss thrown out after going down on Bramble, Dyer follows wanting to join the party! 67598[/snapback] Latent gay fantasies tbh 67681[/snapback] Rather than latent, I would say openly!! 67687[/snapback] No fantasy, I'd buy the tape and be the wholesale distributor if it meant getting rid of all three of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeazesMag 0 Posted December 14, 2005 Share Posted December 14, 2005 "Bramble thrown down" on training ground by Souness... ... like to see him try ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemmill 46030 Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 "Bramble thrown down" on training ground by Souness... ... like to see him try ... 68045[/snapback] Just cos he chinned Bellamy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeazesMag 0 Posted December 15, 2005 Share Posted December 15, 2005 "Bramble thrown down" on training ground by Souness... ... like to see him try ... 68045[/snapback] Just cos he chinned Bellamy. 68127[/snapback] partly true. Aside of Souness picking a fight with someone his own size, or bigger ... Bellamy should have hit him back, over the head, with a hard rusty hammer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggiespaws 0 Posted December 17, 2005 Share Posted December 17, 2005 Seriously, I'd like the Bramble of late last season back. I've never been one to sing his praises, but he looked the part late last season. I'd take it all back if that Bramble would show up for work. He played well tonight I think. Didn't put a foot wrong. Keep it up lad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 Seriously, I'd like the Bramble of late last season back. I've never been one to sing his praises, but he looked the part late last season. I'd take it all back if that Bramble would show up for work. He played well tonight I think. Didn't put a foot wrong. Keep it up lad. 69215[/snapback] Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adios 717 Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal 69404[/snapback] Wasn't his fault! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest alex Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal 69404[/snapback] Wasn't his fault! 69405[/snapback] I know, just kidding really, what was Nobby doing exactly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adios 717 Posted December 19, 2005 Share Posted December 19, 2005 Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal 69404[/snapback] Wasn't his fault! 69405[/snapback] I know, just kidding really, what was Nobby doing exactly? 69413[/snapback] That's grand, thought you might be taking the piss but then you have been spending a little too much time with the remedials over on N-O recently! Nobby probably panicked when he saw the ball coming to Titus in that position, how could he not read that situation and get out of the way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maggiespaws 0 Posted December 20, 2005 Share Posted December 20, 2005 Seriously, I'd like the Bramble of late last season back. I've never been one to sing his praises, but he looked the part late last season. I'd take it all back if that Bramble would show up for work. He played well tonight I think. Didn't put a foot wrong. Keep it up lad. 69215[/snapback] Apart from when he volloyed the ball of Solano for their first goal 69404[/snapback] Didn't see that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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