Newsletter

Get your daily update and weekly newsletter by signing up today!

Opinion

Swap Yohan Cabaye for Moussa Sissoko…

8 years ago
Share

Didier Deschamps has been lauding the ‘rebirth’ of one of his key French international midfielders, unsurprisingly it isn’t Moussa Sissoko, rather it is his former club teammate, Yohan Cabaye.

Moussa Sissoko is still a first eleven pick for Deschamps, despite his ‘form’ for Newcastle, and both players are part of the squad for the latest friendlies in the international break, as France attempt to get competitive without the help of competitive games.

The national manager talked to Yohan Cabaye before his summer move and obviously approved:

“Rebirth is a big word for an international player like him, he did not play often enough with his club (PSG), or at least not during the important games. It was frustrating for him.

“We spoke before he made this decision to join Crystal Palace. He is joining a smaller club, with a coach who was very anxious to sign him up and now he doesn’t need to wonder if he will play the next game or not.”

As for Yohan Cabaye, with Crystal Palace currently in fourth he doesn’t appear too upset with how things have turned out either:

“It is almost like my first year at Newcastle, when we finished fifth, there is still a long way to go but we can do something special this year.

“It is very difficult for other teams to play at Selhurst Park. The atmosphere is great and that is fantastic. We just have to work hard and go match by match.”

If Newcastle had sold Moussa Sissoko and used the cash to buy Yohan Cabaye, what would you have thought then/think now?

I would have thought the same then as I do now…I would take that deal every time.

I honestly can’t remember the last time Sissoko put in a whole 90 minutes, I certainly can’t think of him putting in decent consecutive performances since the first couple of months at Newcastle.

Yohan Cabaye wasn’t great every week but even on a bad day he was still putting in the graft and looking to get the team going.

Too many people brainwashed about the age/resale thing that Mike Ashley has clouded everything with.

Cabaye would have been a class signing for Newcastle and if after three more years at St James Park he was worth 10 euros, who cares?

Every time Sissoko steps on the pitch his value must go down these days, he has minimal influence on the pitch now and is lucky we have nobody else who is any good to replace him, as he isn’t worth his place in the Newcastle team.

All decent teams have a playmaker, somebody who always wants the ball because they know they can retain it and they are the most capable to use it.

Leaving Moussa Sissoko to one side (I wish) for a moment, I will say yet again, Anita and Colback are hopeless. If we are looking at them to dictate play we are knackered.

How any fan can think Cabaye wouldn’t have been good for NUFC is simply mad. We would not be bottom if we’d signed him, I guess he would have helped us get at least 4 or 5 more points so far – absolute minimum.

If you don’t have anybody to connect play then you are…disconnected.

Cabaye would be picking out Wijnaldum with his forward runs, playing the ball into Mitrovic, maybe even ensuring Thauvin was getting the ball in good positions AND protect the back four. Between them, Anita and Colback do none of the above.

We rely on likes of Janmaat charging forward and somehow getting the ball into the box, either via decent football or just sheer force of will.

That isn’t a plan, it is just a last gasp option because we have no real workable tactics, at least not with the personnel we have got.

Newcastle United’s daft transfer policy is counter-productive, yet you will still get some fans who are brainwashed enough to think Thauvin sitting on the sidelines was a better deal than using the cash on a Yohan Cabaye who could run the team.

As we say in the Leazes End ‘Sacre Bleu’!

(To feature like Dean, send in your articles for our website to contribute@themag.co.uk)

Share

If you would like to feature on The Mag, submit your article to contribute@themag.co.uk

Have your say

© 2024 The Mag. All Rights Reserved. Design & Build by Mediaworks