There are a number of players who will soon be ready to come back for Newcastle, and we should see Cheick Tiote back fit and ready to go very soon, and Davide Santon in now training three times a day and should be back soon too.
Malcolm Macdonald thinks Paul Dummett should play at center-back
We also hope that Papiss Cisse can become more comfortable with that knee of his, where the screws that were put in for his broken knee cap are causing the Senegal striker some discomfort.
But these three have not been participating in Newcastle’s recent resurgence, and it’s the younger players filling in who have done so well – players like Mehdi Abeid, Ayoze Perez and Paul Dummett.
Alan Pardew will have some decisions to make on what his starting team will be very soon.
Malcolm Macdonald’s column in the Chronicle is always interesting, and yesterday the former Newcastle number 9 had some comments to make on both Cheick Tiote and Mehdi Abeid:
“Mehdi Abeid is the perfect anchor to let Sissoko go and play. Better than Cheick Tiote, I think, because he cannot resist going round kicking people at times.”
“And is a walking card waiting to happen. Only the color of the card remains to be determined.”
And Malcolm even thinks that Paul Dummett should stay at center-back – where he has looked a natural when he played there at Manchester City and West Brom:
“Another improving all the time is Paul Dummett. I like him as a central defender more than a left-back. He is ready to play there permanently right now.”
As my old team-mate Tommy Craig says, the lad just loves defending and not many do these days. Tommy had him on loan at St Mirren for a season and worked with him daily.”
“For me, Dummett has the edge over Steven Taylor and Mike Williamson.”
When players like Cheick Tiote, Papiss Cisse, Davide Santon, Mike Williamson and Steven Taylor are fully fit, it will be interesting to see which players Alan Pardew will play in his starting eleven – given the excellent form of younger players like Paul Dummett, Ayoze Perez and Mehdi Abeid.
It’s a good problem for the manager to have, but we would keep with the youngsters.
What do you think?
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5 comments so far
AccyToon1
Nov 15, 2014 at 8:56 AM
Comment #1I have always worried about center half but Dummett is proving he can do it, its only 2 games but he has been convincing. As for Tiote if a club comes in big I say let him go, injured too often and like Big Mc always a card away.
As for Perez, with Papiss and Rivi I like the look of our front line, Pardew has not got to ‘manage’ them right so they aren’t over/under used and avoid injury.
hwtl let the good times continue becuase I hate the bad!
Bambams
Nov 15, 2014 at 9:16 AM
Comment #2Dummet has been faultless at CB in the games he has played. Still early but I think we have found his position
nufc 11
Nov 15, 2014 at 9:47 AM
Comment #3Very early lads think his development has somewhat stunted after Fletcher made a mug of him in derby lst season to score the winnner and ap dropped him bcoz of it confidence must have taken a battering fair he has fought his way back he has to work on his positioning and concentration like st.
BeeGuy
Nov 15, 2014 at 11:11 AM
Comment #4Tiote is no upgrade compared to Abeid, but he is to Colbeck.
Haidara needs to find some good passes and crosses in the final third, or he will lose his spot to Santon. But, if that happened, Haidara could challenge at wing.
NEWEXPATMAGPIE
Nov 15, 2014 at 11:23 AM
Comment #5Big Decisions !
What the Betting that he Cocks it all up? and we start losing games again?
At least Three Key players will be gone for Weeks ? and may come back injured or with Ebola?