Should Cheik take a chill pill?

Cheik Tiote: NUFC's resident yellow card collector.
It’s a shame that Cheik Tiote’s don’t grow on trees, because he has certainly shown that there is a bargain or two out there if you look hard enough.

He has been a revelation this season and has attracted plaudits from a number of sources. He’s signed up on a six-year contract although, as we’ve seen with Andy Carroll, the length of a contract is kind of irrelevant these days, especially if a big money bid comes in for the Ivory Coast international in the summer.

Some say he’ll be off, some say he will stay whilst I say what will be will be. If he is with us next season though I think he will need to watch his step in terms of his disciplinary record.

Tiote picked up his 13th booking of the season against Liverpool at the weekend, which is far from ideal and means that he has picked up more yellow cards than any other player this season. He has already had to sit out three games because of the cumulative yellow card suspension (one game for five, two games for ten) rule plus a three game ban for his red card against Stevenage.

That’s six games that Tiote has had to sit out through suspension so far, and he is sailing close to having to sit out another three games for picking up 15 yellow cards. Thankfully it doesn’t matter as it’s the end of the season, but you get my point. We simply can’t afford to lose a player of Tiote’s ability for near on 20% of the season.

Suffice to say that I think that lad needs to calm down a touch. Not too much as I don’t want to change him as a player, but I just think he needs to be a bit more intelligent when it comes to his tackling.

There are plenty of other tough tackling players out there and none of them get as many bookings as Tiote. I understand that a player in his position is always a bit more likely to pick up a booking. Maybe it’s because he is new to England? Maybe it’s because it always seems to be him breaking up play? Maybe his card is marked by refs? Who knows?

It’s a fine balance between maintaining that competitive edge as a player whilst not overstepping the mark. There have been a few times where I think Tiote has been lucky to stay on the pitch after picking up a booking, although it’s also worth pointing out that he has also been on the end of a few harsh decisions. Maybe he has a bad rep?

There is no doubting that Cheik Tiote is an outstanding player, and at only 24-years-old he has potential to improve. If he wants to become one of the best players, whether that be at NUFC or elsewhere, then he will need to be available for as many games as he can be.

Which won’t be the case if he keeps picking up yellow cards willy-nilly!

About toonsy

A lifelong Newcastle fan and current webmaster of this very 'blog who has the sole aim of creating a place by Newcastle United fans, for Newcastle United fans.

23 thoughts on “Should Cheik take a chill pill?

  1. If Wigan win their last 3 games and NUFC, Wolves & WHam lose their last three games, NUFC go down. So Titoe is needed for the 2 home games.

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  2. Totally agree, Toonsy – fat lot of use having all that talent if you’re banned all the time.

    Also, while I do value the guy, he needs to improve on what he does once he’s won the ball. His current default move seems to be to dither and take on two or three more challenges, ignoring the forward runs going on around him and eventually passing backwards, under pressure, to the only team-mate left that hasn’t been blocked off by the opposition.

    It annoys the hell out of me, and I do miss the attack-minded decision-making of Guthrie in the same position. Still, you can’t expect one player to have it all, I suppose.

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  3. He does need to chill just a little bit, but to be fair its a crucial aspect of his game, and its also evident we need good back up for him for when he does get suspended and if/when he gets injured. Whether guthrie is that player remains to be seen.

    Whumpie-I agree that he perhaps doesn’t look forward as much as he should, but I think his basic instinct is to give it to a more creative player-the problem with that is we only have Barton on the pitch and if he’s marked theres not much Tiote can do. Its worth noting his pass completion rate is usually brilliant, and he rarely gets caught in possession like most of our midfield. I guess passing back to the defence who then hoofed it up to Carroll used to be effective, but now that it doesn’t its more noticeable..

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  4. Totally agree mate! Think Cheik has the potenetial to be a wrold class player, but he really needs to improve that side of his game!

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  5. Oi oi radgies!
    What’s been happening like? Av just gettin oot the pokey! Pure cush holiday like. 23 hrs a day just kippin and nee hassle from nee one.
    Back at me mothers noo and discovered Big Mick is not just humping me mother but has let Owl Heed have me bedroom!
    Pure, absolute Shan that like!

    Divvent ged is wrang, Owl Heeds alreet y’kna but he’s purely wrecked me twin decks man! A came back yesterday and foond him purely gannin off it wi me “Rave Nights CD”!
    He reckons he didn’t knack it but a kna he did. A seen him scratchin like mental !

    Anyways, he says, ” HERE TROY, THIS MY KEN NOO, YE’VE GOT TO SLEEP DOONSTAIRS WI THE DOG”.
    A says, ” HOO MAN OWL HEED AL KNOCK YI OOT IF YI KEEP GANNIN ON LIKE THAT LIKE”.

    To be fair like, Owl Heed was alreet after that cos he gis a bit Tack and the old spare quilt cover oot the dogs basket. Cannit be fairer than that like.
    Top bloke really, Owl Heed like.

    Anyways am off oot noo to chore a new BMX cos mine got chored when a was in the pokey! Pure thieving gypsies!!

    Laters Gaters!

    Toon Toon!

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  6. Troy.

    😆

    As usual. I know you get some stick, but it’s light relief as far as I’m concerned. :mrgreen:

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  7. Whatever Wigan need to, they’d need to go on a mammoth goal spree to wipe out their -23 gaol difference!

    🙄

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  8. Tiote needs to take a chiller, he living life on the edge in every game. However! refs also need to be better because some of his bookings have not been to a yellow card. He’s fast getting a reputation like Barton have, where they will likely book him for much less than others.

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  9. Lesh – 4-0 defeats in all of our games and 4-0 victories for Wigan will soon sort that 😛

    😉

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  10. I know they look out for him, but he started with a blank sheet and hasn’t got that reputation for nowt. Needs to learn to make better decisions. The fact that he looks bemused when he’s just thoroughly earned a booking with a clearly illegal tackle suggests he needs some dedicated time with an appropriate coach on what the rules say and how to stay on the right side of them. If he can’t grasp it then, you have to wonder if it’s a language thing or a lack of grey matter.

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  11. Interesting commentary today about how Nolan’s all at sea without Carroll to hold up and knock down for him. Although I wasn’t exactly thrilled with Loven and Shola (particularly Loven) on Sunday, I thought the gaping hole behind them told the full story.

    As AP has said – we need Benny in there.

    Behind him, we need Tiote – but only if he can be relied upon to avoid suspensions!

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  12. With three games still to play United midfielder Cheick Tiote now sits dangerously close to earning a further ban that would spill over into next season.

    Sunday saw the Ivorian earn his fourth yellow card in as many games, taking him up to 13 bookings for the season and leaving him in grave danger of triggering the following piece of disciplinary legislation:

    If a Player accumulates 15 cautions between the opening date of the Playing Season and the last day of the same Season, he will be suspended automatically for a period covering Three First Team matches.
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    tiote needs to improve. :mrgreen: 😯

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  13. I reckon most of those yellows have been marginal. 😉

    I don’t blame Cheik, he’s a saint. I blame incompetant Premier League referees.

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  14. If Wigan win every match and we lose every match its impossible that Wham would finish above us because their max with the wigan loss would be 38.

    If blackburn lose to Wolves and Wham they couldnt finish above us, If Wolves and wham fail to beat blackburn they couldnt finish above us, If Blackpool win away to spurs and manure i will eat me bollocks.

    Villa and the mackems have to play some of the teams below them which again would cause one or both to drop points.

    Mathematically we arent safe but its nigh on impossible for us to drop and it will be cleared up this weekend IMO… 😉

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  15. I think if Tiote calms down it dampens him and what he gives us. That said, I dont think I will be alone in saying we need another CDM to add to the squad as SMith is neither good enough, or any better in terms of discipline than Tiote

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  16. not sure where this talk of relegation is coming from. Cant see us going down. Not sure who posted it but read from someone tat maybe the players have taken foot off the pedal. They need to start gettin their act together as we still have points to play for. Think tiote needs to improve on tat side of his game somehow. Think he is going to be vital next season for us to marshal the defense n hopefully let ben arfa attack. I would keep ameobi , think he is a good squad player but we do need a striker who can score 10 to 20 league goals a season but tat is easier said than done

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  17. Tiote’s on a knife edge looking at this:

    From the Journal:
    “The combative midfielder already has an eye-watering 13 bookings this season, having picked up three in as many games since his last suspension.

    Reach 15 and he will pick up a three-match ban that will carry over into the new campaign.

    If he gets to 14 against Birmingham on Saturday or Chelsea the week after, that needs to be that as far as his season goes.”

    Needs to be careful – don’t want him banned at the start of next season – we also definitely need to get some cover in for him because he will miss games through suspension again next season.

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  18. ” then he will need to be avialable”

    Isn’t that meant to be available? 😉

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