Newcastle United and West Bromwich Albion lock horns on Monday night, sharing realistic ambitions of returning to the Premier League. While Nottingham Forest, Swansea City and others may all have something to say about that in the grand scheme of things, the St James’ Park clash may well go some way towards confirming who has it and who doesn’t.
In terms of boots, Newcastle’s Danny Simpson and West Brom’s Jerome Thomas will definitely tell you they ‘have it’. Simpson has been plying his trade this season in a pair of Adidas Predator X football boots.
Thomas, meanwhile, has been tearing up defences in his in a pair of Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly , a boot that complements the hitman’s devastating pace with supreme technical judgment and accuracy of pass.
The Nike Mercurial Vapor Superfly leapt onto the scene last year, sweeping the traditional boots aside and giving rise to the biggest, bravest, bravado-based wave of footy bling.
While it has undoubtedly done its job (not least on the pay packets of aficionados), it maybe hasn’t had the playing impact that Nike would have hoped, and struggling in the Boot Wars pecking order, this Championship clash provides a great opportunity to get back on track.
While the Adidas Predator X football boots have been more carefully constructed – a playmaker’s boot designed with practicality in mind, not PR, it’s taking its time to really make a mark on the market, and Simpson will be looking to up its reputation another few notches.
Ransacker Predicts: The best playmaker’s boot (supposedly) against the best striker’s boot (supposedly), it could be brilliant, it could be a torrid goalless draw, but Simpson should undoubtedly have the advantage.
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About the author
James is an experienced football journalist who edits two leading Premier League club mags. He has worked for Sky Sports and is endlessly complaining about shin splints. And Mark Lawrenson. His favourite boot is the Adidas Predator Powerswerve. Although it's rumored that he once owned a pair of Nicks boots!
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