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Stats show which Newcastle player outran everybody else on the pitch v Chelsea

8 years ago
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As well as showing great composure and confidence, the post-match stats showed that Premier League debutant Kevin Mbabu outran every other player on the pitch.

Newcastle coach Paul Simpson said that it was a difficult choice to make in selecting the Swiss defender for such a game.

In fact, if Rolando Aarons had been passed fit for the match then we may well have still not seen anything of Kevin Mbabu in the Premier League.

Simpson revealing that after ruling out upsetting the whole of the defence by moving Chancel Mbemba to the left, Rolando Aarons would have been the next port of call, even though the winger has made clear in the past that he doesn’t want to play there.

A calf strain kept Aarons out and allowed Mbabu in, though once again the fact that a young player outran his teammates should come as no surprise and be yet another reason to question why Steve McClaren and Alan Pardew before him, are/were so reluctant to give younger players their chance.

Rolando Aarons himself turns 20 in November and surely with the lack of creativity in recent times, it is unbelievable that the winger has still to start a Premier League game.

We await Saturday and whether Kevin Mbabu keeps his place, with Massadio Haidara playing poorly in most matches so far, you struggle to see why there would be any rationale in bringing him straight back in, if he is fit.

Paul Simpson speaking to NUFC TV:

“We had a decision to make, Kevin had gone on as a sub against Sheffield Wednesday and we were wondering whether to play Chancel Mbemba out of position.

“We would have maybe considered Rolando Aarons to play there but he was out injured.”

Or Kevin Mbabu:

“Or throw Kevin Mbabu in, who is a defender. We knew we would get commitment, good energy, good strength.

“I thought he was fantastic, totally unfazed by the game, by the opposition, the noise of the crowd.”

Can he do it again?

“The big test is can he do it again?

“With high intensity and sprints, he outran everybody in that game.”

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