Glenn Roeder placed a lot of hope and expectation on the shoulders of Obafemi Martins when he became his major signing last summer. It was perhaps inevitable then that the player’s fortunes would mirror those of his new club so closely in the months that followed.

A slow start to the 2006-07 campaign was followed by a mid-season run of form for club and striker and it was that upturn in results which was effectively responsible for keeping Newcastle in the Premiership. It was only after the Uefa Cup exit at the hands of the Dutch side AZ Alkmaar that the team’s and Martins’ form slumped with nothing really left to play for.

Martins had to take over the mantle of both the injured Michael Owen and the recently retired Alan Shearer. To make matters worse Shola Ameobi, who had been earmarked to start alongside Martins for much of the season was sidelined with a hip problem after only a handful of games.

On that basis alone any judgement of Martins’ performance last season is bound to be somewhat unfair. These were not the only events that conspired against the striker and there are other mitigating factors to be considered.

The inability to bring in another top class attacking player meant that he spent a great deal of the season partnering the makeshift forward Antoine Sibierski, a somewhat underwhelming transfer deadline day signing from Premiership rivals Manchester City.

In fairness the Frenchman could not be faulted in terms of effort and the move worked out better than could have reasonably been hoped. To suggest that he was an ideal foil for Martins would be pushing things though.

The Nigerian has also had to play in a struggling team led by an under-pressure manager who seemed increasingly less confident in his own tactical ability. This certainly was not the best environment for a young player in his first season in a new country where the game is played at a significantly higher tempo than in Serie A.

So what exactly are the positives that can be taken from Martins’ first year at Newcastle United? Seventeen goals suggest that there is more to come even if that figure is not quite so impressive when it is broken down. Six of those goals came against opposition in the devalued competition that is now the Uefa Cup but that still leaves a figure of eleven goals (and two assists) in the Premier League.

Perhaps it should be noted that even a goal-poacher of Michael Owen’s undoubted talents has never finished a season netting more than eighteen in the league, despite often playing in a far superior team to that in which Martins has recently found himself.

Martins also gave some glimpses of the lightning pace he possesses as well as showing good aerial ability and the sort of upper-body strength which will stand him in good stead in one of the most physical leagues in Europe. He has also demonstrated a willingness to chase after lost causes and this helped win over a large section of fans.

Of course, what can at times seem like a precocious talent can also be an unpredictable and inconsistent one. And Martins, who seems very much a confidence player, is no exception to this.

For every display that saw goals like the stunning strike away to Tottenham there were more in which he was disappointingly quiet. Other factors like a lack of sophistication in his off the ball movement and a poor first touch at times provide areas that are cause for concern. There are also the tales of his going absent without leave on more than one occasion for both club and country.

It is however worth remembering that he came from Internazionale, where he was often used as an impact player coming off the bench, to Newcastle where he was the club’s main striker and expected to start every match when fit. Given these factors perhaps the pressure showed at times.

So we look ahead to next season and one has to wonder if the player will still be at the club come August. The recent speculation about a £13million buy-out clause existing seems to have been confirmed and reported interest from Valencia, Juventus and Arsenal has followed on from this.

Should there be any basis to these rumours it would be difficult for the player’s head not to be turned by clubs of their stature. Additionally, Sam Allardyce continues to be linked with two forwards from his former club in the shape of Anelka and Diouf and the continued talk of Michael Owen leaving only further confuses the issue.

Maybe one will only be able to evaluate Martins’ time at St James’ Park properly if he is still a Newcastle United player for at least one more season. And, while my instinct leans towards now being a good time to cash-in on him, Newcastle United has a lot more money to play with than was the case until recently.

Having a player like Martins, with his ability to make an impact on games, coming off the bench is the sort of luxury the club could only dream about under the stewardship of the previous two managers. Also Allardyce, outwardly at least, seems keen to hang onto the young Nigerian and I am inclined to place my trust in the new manager.