One of the weaknesses we seem to have these days at Newcastle is at left back, with Paul Dummett not being in good form this season and Sadio Haidara is now injured and out for at least four months with a serious knee injury.
A good question is why we ever sold Davide Santon last January to Inter-Milan (initially on loan) when John Carver was the interim manager.
Inter-Milan are now 4 points clear at the top of the Italian League under Roberto Mancini and Davide has played 9 times for them this season and 9 times last season.
Kevin Mbabu – deserves chance at left back
The player that we’d like to see given an opportunity at left back is 20 year-old Swiss U19 International Kevin Mbabu, who is fit again and he’s been on the bench for the last few games.
Kevin has made four appearances this season for the Newcastle first team and he had a great game against Chelsea but was then injured and lost his place.
Paul Dummett is not in form at the moment and we think Kevin at least deserves a chance at left back and when he’s played for the first team he’s looked the part.
Dummett had all kinds of trouble yesterday with Jordan Ayew’s pace down the right wing and the Geordie had another poor game.
There’s also a possibility that Newcastle will bring in a new left back as the January transfer window draws near and opens in a short 12 days time.
Maybe 23 year-old Jamaican international Kemar Lawrence will be brought in?
Newcastle have been linked with the Jamaican recently and he plays for the NY Red Bulls and had a great Gold Cup tournament in the summer.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
37 comments so far
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:16 PM
Comment #1This game is Watford’s to lose.
Liverpool are ( as Munster would say ) shoyte
blew
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:25 PM
Comment #2Haidara is now injured…..You mean injured again.
Teams attack us mainly down the right because of
the weakness, Mbabu could be the answer.
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:30 PM
Comment #3I’m pretty sure Jetro Willems is coming either next month or in the Summer.
I think we’ll look at loanees until June.
JamesToon
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:37 PM
Comment #4Jib
What makes you think we’ll get Willems?
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:40 PM
Comment #5Cocu and he have had words there’s mutual dislike .
JDdubai
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:42 PM
Comment #6Cisse groin injury being assessed. Hopefully it is bad news, not nice for him but if it is bad news then it may push us to bring a new CF in January.
JamesToon
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:44 PM
Comment #7Well he looks decent didn’t he get something like 13 assists in a season? We need an attacking left back so hopefully he’s the answer.
I’d like some more English/premier league experience though, starting with Jonjo Shelvey.
Rotonda heights
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:45 PM
Comment #8I think MBabu was very unlucky not to get picked. Neither Dummet or Janmatt inspire me as full backs.
JamesToon
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:47 PM
Comment #9Rotonda
Mbabu should start against villa, along with Mitro and Perez
ArtyH
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:49 PM
Comment #10Cisse injured again may mean no new C.F as Cisse would have to be sold for us to buy a replacement if past performance is a guide. Anyway I believe the way to stimulate the team is to bring in Shelvey. He would command the mid field which is where we are so weak and have been since Cabaye left.
Rotonda heights
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:50 PM
Comment #11Dubai
Cisse was desperate before he got injured. Ifhe’s not getting offside he has the touch of a bull elephant. A great season 3 years ago when he was scoring worldies but when not scoring goals he really brings very little these days.
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:52 PM
Comment #12With Willems it’s the tale of the 2 training camps.In PSV’s summer training camp he sustained bad ankle ligament damage requiring an op. He broke down again in October . Cocu says he will be fully recovered after PSV’s winter training camp.
He’s only 21 , I hope he refuses to be rushed into a come back and comes to us in June.
davis_toons
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:58 PM
Comment #13https://vine.co/v/iKbBwMUOtbr
a professional miss.
nightfa11
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:58 PM
Comment #14i agree…dummet was shit..all he was doing was kicking the ball as far away from our goal as possible..
cisse is..a waste of space.. anita was good yesterday..why he was taken off instead of colback is beyond me..
i think noone of the managers we had can cope with a pressure.. they are all “small club” managers.. its easier to take risks at the club where there are no expectations..but when they come here, they all “play it safe”.. we need a manager with balls.. its that simple..
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 2:59 PM
Comment #15I think Dummett is steady as a full back , not flash but steady , he seems to have a much better rapport with his goalie than Janmaat.
Give me steady over flash any time.
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:02 PM
Comment #16Mixed feelings for Welshie in the next match.
If the Swans win they put us in the clarts , if they lose they stay in the smelly stuff themselves.
catchy in norway
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:02 PM
Comment #17I dont think this kid is a LB, yeh he had a good game vs Chelsea, but the kid is a CB,
Dummet is not the answer at LB. he is a CB
Jannmat at RB is not the answer at RB. id like to see him play in the right wing position.
Mbabu should be tried in the center with chancel.
we need proper fullbacks, like Hutton from villa and im sure there is some good LB out there.
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:10 PM
Comment #18Seems like the Shelvey rumours are true he is nowhere near the Swansea match day squad and is not injured.
OK Huw Jenkins may be this that and the other but owners have no business getting into spats with individual players.
Jib
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:13 PM
Comment #19Watford 3rd goal !!!!!
Reyantoon
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:15 PM
Comment #20Liverpool currently getting a good thumping..
Hope Leicester win the title and Watford finish in top 4.That’ll be one hell of a season 😀
welshgeordie9
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:16 PM
Comment #21And people thought we didn’t play well against villa, Liverpool are just like us do well against the top teams, struggle against the smaller ones, Liverpool are shocking.
lochinvar
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:19 PM
Comment #22Chelski in manager cries.
Manure in manager crisis
Man City thinking about a manager crisis
Scousers in manager crisis part two ( ha ha )
Mackems have Sammy
Beginning to take a shine to McLaren
welshgeordie9
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:34 PM
Comment #23I’ve got a bit of problem, I want swans to win but then that would leave Newcastle 3rd from bottom.
welshgeordie9
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:36 PM
Comment #24lochinvar
I was thinking the same thing.
Toon Tang
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:37 PM
Comment #25I hope swans get pummeled to within an inch of their lives
JamesToon
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:37 PM
Comment #26Jib
On Twitter everyone was saying he was a doubt for today due to injury. Maybe you’re right though
Toon Tang
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:39 PM
Comment #27Will be an absolute travesty if they won today. We don’t need any more teams near us winning do we.
angelswithdirtyfaces
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:44 PM
Comment #28wish for a draw then
welshgeordie9
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:46 PM
Comment #29Jib
In Swansea’s local evening post, there’s been no bust up with shelvey.
Reyantoon
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:52 PM
Comment #30Dummett was awful yesterday.Never criticized him ever like yesterday.What more can you say though. The bad rain made most of the players below par.But no doubt, if siem had pocked that header in,we’d have won it comfortably!
nut meg
Dec 20, 2015 at 3:59 PM
Comment #31Shelvey’s on the bench
mindshaft
Dec 20, 2015 at 4:09 PM
Comment #32Shows what bad signings Rodgers made for Liverpool … they were woeful today … Klopp effect well and truly worn off as most of them realise they’ll be dropped as soon as he can buy players who can play his style
I’m iver yesterdays draw … 7 from 9 is a decent return and yesterday’s pitch negated our style more than villas who were terrible and will be relegated for sure
Tsunki
Dec 20, 2015 at 4:19 PM
Comment #33Come on Swansea! Take your beating! 😀
Tsunki
Dec 20, 2015 at 4:36 PM
Comment #34Dummett is trying his hand at wing play like his predecessor Santon who was better than him and still woeful. If the fb can’t do it, he shouldn’t. He cant get past anyone or cross, even as a full back he can’t play out from the back. Upgrade.
Ketsbaia9
Dec 20, 2015 at 4:50 PM
Comment #35We should’ve sold dummett to palace for £8m. He’s a weaklink just like colback. Matip, guerriero, Redmond, grenier, townnsend and zarate should be signed.
JP...from The Rock
Dec 20, 2015 at 4:50 PM
Comment #36Mbabu has to come in for Dummett who let’s face it has been terrible. Mbabu is quicker, stronger and a smarter player it seems. Still needs to be played so we can all see just how good the youngster is. I still believe he should have Dummett’s place and that he will make LB his own if given the chance.
Hail Wor Ashley
Dec 20, 2015 at 5:09 PM
Comment #37Dummet looks steady enough when his sole concentration is to defend, against the better teams that’s usually the case as they have a lot of ball and he can just sit and put in snappy tackles, it’s when he’s on the ball and has to venture out of our defensive third that his shortcomings become apparent very quickly.
Mbabu is more athletic, quicker and better on the ball, not great, but enough to supplement attacks. Don’t know why he wasn’t reinstated the moment he regained fitness, impressed everybody when he was thrown in earlier in the season. It probably comes down to Dummet is a Geordie, older and is left-footed, such is all but the best managers level of thinking.