Oh Danny Boys! Toon’s second choice midfielders get their chance to shine.
Posted on November 9th, 2011 | 6 Comments |
I know, hang on a min how the hell did I come up with that comparison? Also, in the seasons that have followed he has been mostly a bit part player only showing flashes of what he is capable of. But the comparisons were there as it was one of Keegan’s first players to arrive after taking charge for the second time. He wasn’t expensive and has that very hard quality to find in a midfielder, in that he’s a box to box type of player with a broad range of passing, has an eye for goal, who can win the ball and drive the team on like a poor mans Steven Gerrard!
Also with Dan Gosling, when we also managed to sign him on a free with the feeling amongst the fans that finally we are looking at sensible up and coming players and not getting ripped off paying for expensive big names who don’t perform. Having arrived injured we are still waiting to see the best of the former England U21 who had shown so much potential at Everton and warranted the cheeky deal that we managed to get him on.
So both players have yet to earn the right to be classed as first team regulars, with both having very dodgy injury records, and minor incidents on and off the pitch (Guthrie’s lack of Ferrari driving skills/leg breaking tackles and Gosling seemingly breaking golden handshakes). But they might also be the the first two players to benefit from the excellent start to the season in that they are coming into a winning team with the right attitude at the right stage of there career’s to stake their claim and show the Newcastle faithful that they are more than bit part players. Danny Guthrie doing what he does best in the last couple of games and not so much of what he did at Bolton away last season.
With Cheik Tiote and Yohan Cabaye both struggling to be fit over the coming weeks, I am feeling very confident with the run of hard fixtures approaching that Guthrie, who already seems to have a new attitude and hunger for the game, and with a fully fit Dan Gosling, both can play key roles in stiffening up the centre of midfield. Hopefully allowing us to generate chances and hold our own with the big spending teams of the league.
The competition for the centre midfield has never been so good at St James’s Park and even if we don’t manage to pick up a single point against the big boys, it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling that the attitude is finally right at Newcastle and the players throughout the squad will take their chances when they get them and want to play well for the Toon, ensuring that we keep improving and stay in the top half of the table.
NUFCBlog Author: geordiedug
geordiedug has written 8 articles on this blog.
Guthrie has been outstanding in the games hes played, hasnt looked out of place springing passes out alongside Cabaye.
Gosling seems as I thought when we signed him, even though many insist he was a class player – hes a good player, but is more about work rate and commitment than technical ability that guthrie has.