An argument for playing Dan Gosling?

Posted on September 24th, 2011 | 13 Comments |

Should Gosling replace Tiote in midfield?
Instead of Tiote?
Is there a case for giving Dan Gosling a run in the Newcastle United midfield instead of Cheick Tiote who, this writer argues, isn’t having the best run of form?

In a recent interview, Cheick Toite has been saying he’s been enjoying his new partnership with Yohan Cabaye in the centre of midfield. Tiote said:

“Last week I think we played very well together. It is good and it is working well.

“Last season was different with Kevin Nolan, it was a different style of play. Kevin went forward more and scored goals.

“Yohan is a more technical player and uses a different style. They are both good players.

“But Yohan likes to play with the ball more – he brings the best out of me. If you are a winning team the most important area is the midfield.”

Now I will admit that I didn’t see the Villa game last weekend as I was otherwise engaged, but I have seen every other match this season and I thought that the Tiote-Cabaye partnership was something that needed work.

Tiote seemed to be putting in some poor passes and regularly getting caught in possession, whilst Cabaye looked like a passenger a lot of the time. Admittedly, the latter is hardly Cabaye’s fault because we’ve been playing over the midfield quite a bit, but Tiote – perhaps because of his slightly deeper positioning – still seems to have had time on the ball and I haven’t been particularly impressed with what I’ve seen.

Having witnessed his excellent form last season I know it’s not a permanent problem and I’m sure he’ll find his form eventually, but I tend to think that Dan Gosling should be given a Premier League start. This, I feel, would benefit Tiote too as it would it give him some incentive to ‘earn’ his place back and – hopefully – help him to overcome his poor run of form.

You may of course disagree with my assessment of Chiek Tiote in the first place, although you’d be so wrong you may as well set fire to yourself.

The way I see it, we have plenty of midfielders, so let’s use them. It wouldn’t necessarily have to be Dan Gosling of course. Sylvian Marveaux, Danny Guthrie, Mehdi Abeid and Haris Vuckic can all play a central midfield role (although the latter is currently injured). Not to mention Alan Smith*. We may as well use the advantages we’ve got and, whilst we may be lacking personnel in other areas of the pitch, we have plenty of choice in midfield.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on it at the moment.

* Humour.

NUFCBlog Author: Hugh de Payen I'm a baby-boomer of the punk rock persuasion, currently exiled in Somerset for crimes committed in a previous life where locals keep trying to poison me with something called 'scrumpy'. Hates sprouts, coat-hangers, Cilla Black, ornaments, Steven Seagull movies and 50 Cent (he's not worth 10). Hugh de Payen has written 634 articles on this blog.

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Posted on by Hugh de Payen in category: Alan Smith and Cheick Tiote and Dan Gosling and Danny Guthrie and Haris Vuckic and Hugh de Payen and Mehdi Abeid and Player interviews and Sylvain Marveaux and Thoughts and reflections , with tags: ,
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13 Responses

  1. I’m a fan of Gosling. I think he’s a talented young man.

    You should have seen the Villa game!

    The best game we’ve had for years.

    We controlled possession, Cabaye and Tiote were superb.
    A few silly errors still in Tiote’s game but he’s improving match by match.

    Gosling’s going to have to wait for injuries, or the odd appearance as sub.

    It’s a good problem for Pardew to have.
    Looking forward to today’s game.

    HWTL

  2. great site for football and other sports. Also shows 3pm kick offs. £2 for 24 hours or £6 for 60 days.
    Liveonlinefooty.com.

  3. You’ve had a mare here mate – Tiote was back to normal last week at Villa and Gosling is nowhere near ready to start in the Prem. Dunno about the Forest game but he was garbage at Scunthorpe

    Your wider point is valid tho – we’ve got loadsa choice in midfield and if someone is out of form they should be replaced in the 1st X1. Marveaux is knocking on the door at the mo… but Jonas and Obertan both doing ok for me so far

  4. Since u didn’t see the villa game it kind of hinders your arguemet is their partnership showed real potential then. I like gosling, but to put him in now would stop their development as a CM unit and would be stupid as they’re starting to perform together as try get to know eachother. gosling was pretty much pedestrian at forest, if anyone earned a shot in the team would of been Marveux or abeid, but neither would get a CM spot IMO. Id like to see gosling play but not off a poor performance

  6. Morning, I have been doing a bit of boring stats.
    We were pondering our lack of goals last night, and I think we forget (or didn’t know) that the combined transfer cost of our 6 forwards is only £2m !
    So its not realistic (or fair) to expect too much from them – give them a chance yes, but the lack of a quality CF is still a major weakness in our team. Let’s hope a lack of goals has not derailed our hopes before the Jan. window.
    The other point is contracts: I thought everyone considered keeping was tied to a 5 year deal – but I see your “squad & transfers” link shows Harper’s & Krul’s are running out! Hope this is a mistake.

    HWTL

  7. Tiote is spot on with his comments.

    Last season he had almost all of the midfield to himself as Nolan was far too often a passenger with the game passing him by.

    This season we have a very accomplished midfield player in Cabaye. Although it is early days, he looks the best midfield player we have had a years. It will take time for him to settle and it will take time for him and Tiote to successfully work together. The Villa game showed what is possible, and it looks good.

    I always thought Gosling would be a good understudy for Ben Arfa but now I’m not so sure.

    I think Abeid (on his mid-week performance) could be the natural understudy for Tiote whilst Vuckic could be the understudy for Ben Arfa although I have a sneaking suspicion that Marveaux could play in that position between the midfield and the lone striker. Albeit it is early days, he does appear to have more ability than being just a winger. Only time and selection will tell I suppose.

    Gosling is a talented player but on current form he isn’t going to oust Tiote or Cabaye. He is in competition with Guthrie and at the moment I’m not sure which one is hugher up the pecking order.

    Nice problems to have though.

    PS: Hugh, no need to mention Smith anymore.

  8. Supermac @ 5

    When people complain about not spending £35 million on a striker it is worth asking the question ‘..on current form who is better Carroll, Torres or Best?..’

  9. Kamar – good point, but the best man to ask is Pardew who has managed 2 of them.
    I’m happy to give Best his chance and he’d doing all he is asked to do – well done son.
    I expect AC to be dropped again as he appears to be 3rd or 4th choice – current value?
    Torres – does he still want to be a footballer?

    HWTL

  10. How can you write an article like that without seeing the only game that they’ve really controlled the midfield?
    Tiote missed a lot of pre season and the only thing that’s gonna propel him anywhere near the dizzy heights of last season’s performances is more games under his belt. Gosling has had two starts this season, both LC, and has been hauled off early in each game. I agree that, until Villa, they both looked like passengers but the only thing that will put that right is premier league games together

  11. ————–Krul————
    Simpson S.Taylor Colo R.Taylor (Santon)
    ——–Cabaye—Tiote——-
    —–Ba—–Ben Arfa—Jonas (Marv)
    ————–Best————

    Looking good I think, Gosling can cover Tiote if he get’s injured, Guthrie for Cabaye, Santon still to come back, Marveaux looks good, and of course, Ben Arfa. A lot of people have said play Ba up front by himself, if you watch him play with Best, he drops deep to win the ball or pulls wide a bit, we wouldn’t have anyone up there to poach them in. I’ve gone with Ba out on the right, if you watch the goals he scored for West Ham, most of them were scored by attacking the far post with a diagonal ball to him, or he’ll come from deep plus I think he’s got one or two long shots in him. I think, if we played like this when on the attack we could have 3 up front with Ben Arfa playing them in, on the defensive I would be worried about Ba getting back but Tiote and Cabaye are decent enough to protect us I think….

  12. After a great start with some testing games we have shown skill, character & promise – well done to all involved.
    But we have had a fair share of luck.
    Today we back at home – I don’t class it as a test (too early in the season & the team’s development) but I see it as a progress report on a promising side.

    True enough, a result would be the most important thing, 3 points would be great no matter how we get them.
    But if we don’t get that I will judge us by how we played – we have been let down too often in the past to get too enthusiastic, and we react too wildly to set backs.

    This game is not a test – it is a guide – please treat it as such. I we give our all and don’t win please don’t turn on them with floods of whinging & criticism – get behind them and encouage them, work out sensibly where the problems lie and suggest how it can be fixed.
    I the last 50 years I have seen us scream ourselves hoarse at dozens of managers and players and it has got us precisely no where!

    We are in the very early days of what looks like the beginings of a very good team – please be patient, savour it, enjoy it – with NUFC we have specialised in false dawns (and I’ve seen too many) but this time we just might be watching the start of something special!

    NUFC 2 Rovers 0

    HWTL

  13. 35 mill for shandy carroll ,wow.at least dick turpin wore a mask.wats under every pony tail…..an arsehole