Paul Dummett is a player who divides fan opinion. He certainly isn’t the most gifted player we have but after a solid season, has he improved or is the Championship just his level?
His limitations
Since breaking into the team after a loan spell with St.Mirren earlier in his career, Dummett has pretty much made the left back role his own ever since. The signing of Lazaar last summer was perhaps meant to usurp him from the role moving forward but he has rose the occasion and has made more appearances than any other player under Rafa. He is a solid defender, can play centre half if needed and has a great attitude.
Frustrations with Dummett come with his inability to go forward, which is a key part of a modern full back. He always needs a few touches to control the ball and rarely gets to the by-line. He also has a tendency to misjudge cross field balls which has cost us a few times and allows an attacker to get in behind; Nottingham Forest away this year being a prime example.
At 25, it is debatable if these weaknesses in his game will radically change.
Should he have been in the Championship team of the year?
Dummett arrived in the Championship off the back off a poor season during our relegation. He was no worse than many other mind, in what was a feeble squad effort until Rafa arrived. Malone of Fulham was voted as the best left back in the league at the PFA Awards evening. Dummett has had a good season and having made more tackles, interceptions, aerial challenges and pass completion rates than anyone else in his position, can feel hard done by at not getting more recognition.
Cut out for the Premiership?
Dummett is one of a few of our players who have proved they can do a job at the highest level. Of course, if we want to progress beyond a relegation scrap next year we need a better left back than Dummett and I expect Rafa to address this in the summer.
He has proved able to do a job if needed though and ideally, he would be a reliable squad player next year who can come into a few different positions. To really thrive in the top flight I just feel he lacks the tools going forward, this season he has had plenty of time to cross the ball from deep and when given time, he has a quality delivery. However, you aren’t afforded this time in the Premiership and this is where the weaker elements of his game do get exposed.
What role can he play moving forward?
Ideally we will sign a left back this summer who will have the impact Lazaar should have had this year. Dummett has never been pushed for this place and we badly need more quality to compete next year.
He is certainly worth keeping hold of though as a squad option though and like Lascelles, may lack the quality at the highest level but is a good character to have in the squad. It was a lack of those that led to our downfall last year.
Just gutted … Chieck Tiote dies at only 30 years old… 😯 RIP Chieck… always remembered for the 7 years at the Toon and that goal against Arsenal.
Just so sad… ???
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Sad about Tiote.
I always find it strange when footballers collapse or die. They have the most thorough check ups and full physicals when they change clubs. I think they even have full physicals in pre-season. You see them lying on the hospital bed with all those wires attached to various machines. It is unfathomable that they wouldn’t detect a heart defect but it seems to happen.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Aye mate I’ve said that a few times how do they miss these things it’s happening a lot lately,it’s a full blown check they get sometimes lasting two days,as Kim says a few black players seem to be prone,Ginola had a narrow escape but he’s been out the game a while,do you hear any problems over side with so many different sports being played there
Icedog(Quote)
Luke Edwards is reporting that Abraham AND Chelsea want the move to SJP with only a few details to be sorted. He also says we want to loan Calum Chambers and are looking to offload Mitro to generate transfer funds.
None of this is unexpected but some were saying it was slow on the transfer front but it looks like things were going on behind the scenes.
I expect us also to sign someone out of the blue that the press have never heard of. Rafa has worked that way in the past and so has Carr.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Ice: there are often American Football players who collapse and sometimes die in their pre-season which is at the height of the summer. Chicago is known for the wind and cold but the summers get really hot and humid sometimes. It is even worse in places like St Louise and Atlanta. The coaches will have them do 2 full on training sessions a day, sometimes in full pads so any health problem will be magnified.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I reckon if Arsenal will consent to loan us Chambers, they would probably allow a loan-to-buy with a sell on clause. I am not sure if Wenger is sold on him being up to Arsenal standard.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Very said about Tiote. So young and his wife was pregnant too!
Stuart79(Quote)
Bloody hell 🙁
kimtoon(Quote)
I wouldn’t be too surprised if they do find these things during the medicos biput just go ahead anyway… too much money involved in football nowadays. It overshadows everything, including the players health. We signed Ba with dodgy knees as an example. Also I’m sure I’ve read about other players known to have heart conditions but play on anyway. Very sad
Dubai Toon(Quote)
No new thread after a week or so. It’s like the late Toonsy days! Would have though a Tiote tribute would be up by now like.
shamrock(Quote)
I am sorry to hear the news about Toite. Did he have cardiac issues last season ? It would certainly explain why Rafa didn’t play him very often. Still tragic news. R.I.P Toite
Stem(Quote)
The Times is reporting Abraham on the way to Toon!
georgio(Quote)
Abraham is he good enough Georgio ?
I haven’t been excited about any of the players we’ve been linked with.
Stem(Quote)
He is a very good striker at Championship level. Is he any good at PL level? Who knows. I hope we get a proven striker in as well.
shamrock(Quote)
Sham, Olly has it up as a news article. I did mention it may of been better as a discussion thread. Difficult as it’s really news but you can also argue it’s more a discussion piece of news ?
kimtoon(Quote)
https://twitter.com/TheSun/status/871977963474096128
Sometimes it helps to be stuck in the 70’s
kimtoon(Quote)
Cheers Kim. I don’t tend to look at the rest of the site… Would be nice to get a new discussion thread. Would have expected a Tiote tribute as a discussion thread on a NUFC blog.
Speaking of Tiote, didn’t he have moves to China and Turkey fall through at the last minute for reasons unknown? Could it have been medicals showing a problem? If so, shouldn’t that info have to be disclosable to any future clubs and shouldn’t FIFA /UEFA have to be informed so that safeguards can be put into place?
shamrock(Quote)
Reports Colback put up for sale. Fingers crossed…
Mitro to Turkey talk gathering pace too.
shamrock(Quote)
Colback to go best news I’ve heard all year,I’ll drive him free where ever he wants to go
Icedog(Quote)
I’ve heard there’s a club in Seattle interested Ice 😆
Stem – I’m not sure how good he is mate. He’s very like Gayle in his goalscoring with lots of tap ins and rebounds. He’s very quick but I must say very raw for the Prem.
It’s looking likely Semedo won’t be coming but Lejeune will be. We’ll see.
georgio(Quote)
China? 😀
funrafa(Quote)
the transfers have been frustrating so far …
funrafa(Quote)
Tiote had transfers fall through. I remember one was because he asked for too much money. He also had ongoing knee issues so that could have been why others fell through.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Yes China in a slow boat to save his new club nightmares
Icedog(Quote)
Surely the Spanish club cannot complete with the toon,must be the sun that’s tempting him 😆
Icedog(Quote)
The rumour I liked best was Batshuyai but that seems to have died. Also liked the Carvallho (sic) rumour although it was never going to happen. Lol
We must be up to over 60 players linked so far.
Dubai Toon(Quote)
Is Mitro any good? He has had 2 full years now. Pros and Cons:
Pros:
Good hold up play
Good in the air
Excellent use of the chest
Unselfish
Cons:
Slow as molasses
Not an instinctive finisher
Scuffs a lot of shots
Temperament
Marked man by the Refs
I think we should probably sell him. If you look at the top strikers in the PL they are all instinctive finishers and Mitro doesn’t have that in his bag of tricks. He is also reckless and the Refs have noticed this and cut him no slack at all. In a 50/50 challenge where both he and the defender are at fault it will be Mitro who gets the yellow.
I suppose he could be used as a battering ram like Duncan Fergusson but I think Fergusson was more skillful.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Well Abrahams was on fire in the EFL last season, but I could well believe Rafa being aware of him during Rafas time at Chelsea as well.
I can understand people asking the question ‘is he good enough’, but if Rafa thinks so – and I’m sure he won’t be the only forward he wants in.
I don’t usually like the idea of loan deals without the option to buy, but maybe this one will come with an option – don’t know if Everton had one with Lukaku, but he ended up there after a successful loan spell so who knows.
Either way, he’s a toon player next season so hopefully he’s a success.
Sharpy17(Quote)
Sharpy: Everton did not have an option on Lukaku, they just bid enough to make it worth it to Chelsea. He had also had a very successful loan at West Brom so Chelsea knew he could score goals in the PL. The problem with the Chelsea loanees is that they have so many and their path to the first team is blocked by a very good player. They do not wait for players to develop. Just look at their team, none are from the academy. I expect we could buy Abrahams even if he has a very good season because he will have Batsuiy (sp) ahead of him. Having been burned by Lukaku, de Bruyne, Shurrle, maybe even Sturridge my guess is that they will be putting in sell-ons and buy-backs from now on.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
Today is really the first day that I have seen Colback mentioned among the possible sales.
Eric Sykes(Quote)
I’ve been trying hard enough to get him moved on
Icedog(Quote)
How big a mistake was it to sell of Frazer Foster? Discuss.
shamrock(Quote)
Sham – I think that one would fall under hindsight mate.
At the time Krul was probably the better of the 2 (at the time).
If Forster was say he wanted first team football or a move, then I guess they had to pin their colours to Krul or Forster.
Was Woodman the keeper coach back then too?. If so, I can’t imagine it helped his son coming through the ranks – pretty bias advise I would have thought.
Sharpy17(Quote)
thats just what i was going to say mate.that saved me a quote.lol
icedog(Quote)
http://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/620485/Newcastle-transfer-news-Aleksandar-Mitrovic-Besiktas-Fenerbahce
bless him his heart is in the right place.but can he cut it.Rafa seems to think he cannot
icedog(Quote)
Wenger trying to high jack our deal for defender,he could win as well
Icedog(Quote)
IF Arsenal want him then he must be good and he’ll definitely choose them over us. I’m getting a slight feeling that we’re playing too hard on fees and bidding too low and that’s nothing new from Charley and Co. Hope not.
georgio(Quote)
Yep, saw that, bit surprised tbh, didn’t think he was high profile enough to tempt them plus he has a poor disciplinary record too.
kimtoon(Quote)
Georgio – it’s a buy out clause of something like £8.6m, so we aren’t playing silly buggers in this one – plus we are doubling the lads wages so fair deal there I say.
The silver lining could be though that IF Arsenal take him, they may not want Callum Chambers any more and we could take him instead – young English defender with experience in the PL.
Sharpy17(Quote)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4580492/Cheick-Tiote-s-son-wears-RIP-Daddy-Newcastle-shirt.html
kimtoon(Quote)
good point that mate, every cloud as they say
kimtoon(Quote)
Also, Lejeune signed for City a few years ago and never saw a single minute of action with them – it’s possible he could be wary of signing for Arsenal and sitting on the bench behind Koscielny, Mertesacker, Mustafi, etc.
Charlie Prince(Quote)
New thread folks.
https://www.nufcblog.co.uk/2017/06/07/video-cheick-tiotes-greatest-moments-at-nufc-a-true-footballing-warrior/
After the heartbreaking news of Cheick Tiote’s death, we’ve taken a look at his greatest moments at NUFC, paying tribute to a true footballing warrior.
Please give it a read/watch, and move all comments to the above thread.
Thanks guys
Olly Hawkins(Quote)