Tioté - Still has a huge amount to learn about the Premier League

Like any other year, it comes as no surprise to us that the media are trying to cause unrest at Newcastle United, particularly the southern crew. Constantly our players are linked with moves away from St.James’ Park, and it has come to a stage where Alan Pardew even admits that there is nothing he can do if bigger clubs come calling. Unfortunately, this isn’t what the papers want to hear. They want to hear guarantees from NUFC that big players won’t leave, so in the eventual case of them departing for another club - they can bring it right back to our manager or board.

It’s annoying, but our ‘unknown’ signings that many ‘pundits’ and figures in the media thought would be part of a struggling Newcastle United team, have been proven very wrong. Pardew and the team haven’t granted any of the media any satisfaction in what they’ve done this season - so they’ve had to come up with another attempt at unsettling the squad. That attempt would be linking Alan Pardew with the current England job alongside Demba Ba & Tioté departure rumours.

Regardless, Cheik Tioté our battler in CM is being linked with a move away from Tyneside, with Chelsea, Manchester United and even Manchester City as potential suitors (Yaya Touré?!). Despite claiming that his future lays with Newcastle United on countless occasions, more headlines have appeared of him questioning his long-term future at NUFC.

The question is - are we really that worried about losing him?

I mean, we signed him to a six and a half-year contract only a year ago which means he would merit quite an astounding fee in the case of a move to another club. As well as that, as good as Tioté is - and he’s a great player don’t get me wrong - he has still a huge amount to learn about the Premier League. His constant fouls, late challenges have helped him accumulate a large number of yellow cards this season, and he hasn’t even played that much since returning from the African Cup of Nations.

Cheik is still very much a work in progress but certainly has the quality to be one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Whether he’ll become that player under Alan Pardew at Newcastle United, or at another club it remains to be seen but why would he want to leave anyway? We’re fourth in the table and in with a real shout of Champions League football for next year - the same as any of the teams above us can offer him should we achieve it.

With Chelsea into a Champions League final at the expense of Barcelona - it means that we must finish third in the PL if Chelsea happen to win the final and are not in the top four come the end of the season.

With either Bayern or Real awaiting them in the final it will be a very difficult task for Roberto di Matteo’s men either way, especially with John Terry, Ivanovic and the rest suspended.

I’m sure Cheik and Newcastle United will take each game at a time and look to secure three points as they come. If we win every game from now until the end of the season and Arsenal fail to do the same then we’ll be in the Champions League regardless. Not that impossible is it? 😀

What do you think? Is the prospect of losing Tioté daunting?

Comments welcome 🙂

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