Kevin Mbabu had an excellent game for the Newcastle U-21 side in beating PSV 1-0 to win he Steel Park Cup yesterday and surprisingly enough Kevin has said that’s the first full 90 minutes he has played since he lasted the full game at home against Chelsea last season.
Kevin Mbabu in action against Chelsea last September
The Chelsea game was back on September 26th last year that we ended up drawing 2-2 after leading 2-0 with just 11 minutes to play.
The 21 year-old was great in that game, but injuries restricted his playing time last season to just 5 Newcastle appearances – the first season he has played in the first team.
We are hoping with Rafa concentrating on reducing the injuries at the club – Kevin can benefit from that.
There was a scare about his fitness when he had to leave the Ireland training camp in County Kildare, but it seems it wasn’t much of an injury and more of a precautionary move; Kevin was training again shortly after that.
This is what the former Swiss U-19 International has told the Chronicle today:
“Of course it’s important for me to play my first 90 minutes since last September against Chelsea,”
“I felt good out there and I’m really happy.” “My leg was tired across in Ireland so I came back a little earlier than everyone else but I trained for a few days afterwards and I’m back now.”
“I’m hoping to get some more minutes and get towards pushing for the first team.”
“It was really important for me to come down here because I need to play games and I need to get some confidence as well.
“I’m happy with my performance, the performance of the team, and also that I got a full 90 minutes.”
“We have to get back in the Premier League – that’s where we belong,” “We can do it, definitely.”
“It’s really exciting for us right now with the manager in charge.”
Kevin got a two year extension of his contract when Newcastle activated a clause in his contract and we would like to see him stay at Newcastle this season.
But the word is depending how he does in pre-season it could be he is sent out on loan by Rafa.
This lad is a good player and can have a Newcastle future, but he has to stay fit so he can show just what a good player he could become on Tyneside.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
62 comments so far
Nufc-83
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:04 AM
Comment #41Spoof i would agree with what you say in 32. I think its still likely Tiote will be away so i think hayden will come in and take that role alongside Shelvey. We still need a creative central attacker imo and possibly a winger especially if Thauvin leaves (although I have a feeling he may stay). Pritchard (based on youtube 🙂 looks like he could be an awesome cam.
SUTTY1978
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:05 AM
Comment #42Spoof, I don’t want to get rid of him, this originally started because I said I’d want Wijnaldum in the team over a grafter like Colback, then I just pointed out that not one single team has made an approach for him. As you say he’s good at filling gaps for injuries but shouldn’t be in the starting XI.
I’m sure everyone can remember the odd good game he’s had but that’s not really enough is it?
YouCouldn'tMakeItUp
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:10 AM
Comment #43When it comes to DM, both Colback and Anita can play there…. just not together. Some have already said you need a Tiote in there. Anita has a very tidy passing game, and i prefer him to colback as the partner to Tiote or whoever plays as the combative DM. Anita, Dummet and Colback are all useful utility players who should definitely remain in the squad imo. I never feel panic when they have to play for whatever reason (well, maybe a bit with colback). Ideally they are not regular starters,of course.
martoon
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:11 AM
Comment #44Like I said earlier Colback is a bit of marmite player!
All players have bad games but I generally find if you are at the match and watch him closely he gets through a lot of graft and wins the ball back quite a lot. Admittedly some of his fouls in dangerous areas are stupid and unnecessary but hopefully Rafa will have a word in his ear about them.
jayphoto
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:19 AM
Comment #45Colback for me Is a premier league standard squad player. Not sure he is good enough to warrant a starting spot in a top 10 team but he is tidy and works hard.
He is far too good for the championship in my opinion, hes one of those players that if he stays that will expose the difference in quality between the premier league and championship! Dummett is another I expect to look like one of the better players in the league next year
Nufc-83
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:24 AM
Comment #46Youcouldntmakeitup When you say Anita has a tidy passing game i presume you are reffering to his 3-4yrd balls backwards and sideways? He has no real range of passing which is a big problem for him as he offers very little else. When he is really on his game and seems to be timing his tackles well he is a good player as he has good pace and is bit like a poor mans Kante (even a poor mans Kante is a good player though). The problem is he often does not have a game in whcih he constantly wins the ball and if often left wanting due to his size and strength.
Nufc-83
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:26 AM
Comment #47Jayphoto how can you say that Dummett will look like a top player in the Chamionship i really dont get that. I understand you could say he will be really solid defensively and so will not give wingers much room but he will still be a utter gargabe when he recieves the ball and will likely lump it forward to nobody.
jayphoto
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:26 AM
Comment #48In every club benitez has ever managed, hes used a deep lying playmaker as one of the midfield 2, in a 4-2-3-1. Hes done that everywhere, used modric at Madrid in that role, Alonso at Liverpool etc Always a player with passing range, vision etc, Always next to a high energy tackling monster. (was momo sissoko at Liverpool and then Lucas I think?) No reason to think he won’t do this at Newcastle too since its the 1 constant in his managerial career. For me this means Shelvey as hes the only player we have like that. Possibly next to Tiote if he stays, Colback if he doesn’t?
Spoof
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:28 AM
Comment #49YCMIU
Is Anita’s passing tidy though, forget about % as they are meaningless but when I watch Anita is short balls, back balls and square balls, very rarely does he make a forward pass and when he does if it’s further than twenty yards then it rarely finds a Newcastle player, watch him and then watch Shelvey and see the difference, when Anita gets the ball the first thing he does is too look square and then behind, Shelvey gets the ball and his head is up looking for a forward pass as quick as possible to get us attacking, Anita rarely does that which was one of the reasons why he and Colback were so dreadful as a pairing, they just couldn’t/wouldn’t try to get us going forward, sorry but for me Anita in midfield is dreadful and his forward passing is virtually non existent.
Spoof
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:32 AM
Comment #50jay
read @32
Spoof
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:37 AM
Comment #5183
I think you will be right but due to not knowing if Hayden is a suitable replacement, I don’t know Hayden’s game and I don’t know if he would be good enough then allowing Tiote to go would be a huge gamble, if we had signed Leiva from Liverpool then yes I could see an exit for Tiote, but we haven’t so unless we get a similar type in then I hope that Tiote stays.
jayphoto
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:39 AM
Comment #52@Nufc83 – Because there are so many players like Dummett that look like great players at that level. I don’t think his attacking attributes will be exposed because Rafa doesn’t really encourage attacking full backs anyway, similarly Gamez rarely crosses the halfway line as a player unless its to take a throw in! Dummett is decent defensively and I think that will be emphasised when playing against lesser players
martoon
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:43 AM
Comment #53I have to say while I like Colback and Anita at fullback I do agree with other posters that they just don’t work playing together in midfield. Probably for the reasons Spoof @48 said. It’s hard to say our best midfield 2 but probably Tiote & Shelvey with Hayden knocking on the door – hmmm I’ve just dropped Colback!!!!
jayphoto
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:45 AM
Comment #54@spoof – I really hope tiote stays, on his day, when fit, for me hes probably our most affective player at his best. A fit consistant tiote is a champions league level player for me. The key with him is the role he plays and the job hes given. Hes one player I could see Benitez getting a tune out of. Not being funny but tiote would eat most championship level CM for breakfast.
hibbitt
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:45 AM
Comment #55the players / teams in the championship aren’t as bad / poor as a lot of posters think
people seem to think we are way above everyone else in the league were not
Nufc-83
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:47 AM
Comment #56Jay I do get what your saying but hopefully we will be mostly attacking in the coming season and should be the team trying to unlock the opposition. If Dummett cant contribute to that attack effectively then it will cause problems in my opinion as often the full backs are the position in which recieve the most space on the pitch. I also do not understand the Theory that Rafa does not like to play with attacking full backs as didnt he have Riise at Liverpool who was extremely attacking?
jayphoto
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:57 AM
Comment #57@Nufc-83 He did, but he also favoured Fabio Aurelio when he was fit (though that wasn;t often)
Please get confused with riise because of the goals, but he rarely ever overlapped the winger under rafa.
outside the box
Jul 25, 2016 at 11:57 AM
Comment #58i expect rafa to build from the back starting with solid defense
mbemba lascelles hanley dummett
with hayden and shelvey playing in front of them
and wouldn,t be surprised to see janmatt perez and ritchie behind gayle for fulham game
Wayayman
Jul 25, 2016 at 12:16 PM
Comment #59SouthEastMagpie@29
Yep, I’ve just ‘spoken’ to Southend FC via Twitter and they said we can pay on the night for the away end (NUFC.com also say this on the ‘ticket’s section) Prices are £15 adults, £8 young adults and £4 junior
Spoof
Jul 25, 2016 at 12:17 PM
Comment #60hibbitt
it’s not our opponents who frighten me as I disagree with you as I do feel that it is a poor, very poor league and I honestly do feel that any half decent side would get out of this league quite easily, but that is where I have the problem because I am not convinced that we have a half decent side, the side that we had wasn’t good enough for the PL which is why we went down and what I am seeing is with Townsend, Gini and probably Sissoko and perhaps even Janmaat, Krul and Tiote is the beeter players we had leaving and being replaced by Ritchie, Hayden, Hanley and Gayle who from how I look at it have been bought due to having Championship experience which is fine but how did they do when in the Championship, yeah not bad but they hardly tore it up and my fear is that we aren’t as good as some may think at this particular time, hopefully a bit more quality will come and if it does then we should be ok as this is a very poor league.
ToonRich
Jul 25, 2016 at 12:46 PM
Comment #61@ Spoof and jayphoto… Guys, Hayden for me looks a complete player and could easily be a step up from Tiote, that’s assuming Rafa bought him for that role!
Jay – “Gamez rarely crosses the halfway line as a player unless its to take a throw in!”
Are you having a laugh…he makes numerous forward runs as he did at Doncaster. It’s one of his assest getting forward and overlapping to the byline!
funlovingexpress
Jul 25, 2016 at 1:19 PM
Comment #62Colback doesnt score enough, cant or wont tackle in positions which could open up the opposition, cant dribble past a player, is rubbish at free kicks, isnt very fast and his movement off the ball leaves a lot to be desired.
He also has no vision. Gini was 10 times the midfielder.
Colback wont be going for 25 million. I wonder why