Newcastle United Fan View: Can emergence of Diame and Dummett save Magpies?

Newcastle United fans often get a lot of stick for, ironically, giving their own players stick. I don’t think this is uniquely a Newcastle trend, as much as the national press would like you to believe it is.

I have watched a lot of matches this season and seen sides lose at home being booed off by their fans; often when they are sitting in the top six of the league. I have heard ironic cheers when a player, who has been perceived as under-performing, has been substituted off in a game. No, turning on your own players is not a “Newcastle thing”, but I think we have possibly given a few players a rough ride over the last season or so.

One such player is Paul Dummett, the other is Mo Diame. I have been as guilty of this as the next person. Personally, I have never booed an individual player and this isn’t me getting on my high horse or anything; inside I have been screaming at them and my heart has often sunk when I have seen certain names on the team-sheet, but I think as a Newcastle fan, this is simply the reaction a lot of fans have had after years and years of frustration and under-performing sides.

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We have seen the likes of Kinnear, McClaren, Pardew and Carver manage the side the we all love and we have had no respect for them, or at least I haven’t. I didn’t trust them at all, I didn’t trust them to pick a side that would win a game and whilst Rafa Benitez’s starting picks have often raised some eyebrows, the majority of fans trust him implicitly so we have laid off him.

The national media, of course, hate this – they want to show the cartoon version of Newcastle United fans constantly barraging their own team, never sticking by their players or always turning on their managers. They don’t like it that we are fully behind Rafa, through thick and thin, good times and bad. They hate it.

News this week has come from the club stating left-back and local lad, Paul Dummett, has signed a long-term contract. This is music to the ears of all Newcastle United fans who have witnessed a player come through the academy and in to the first team. Dummett has taken a lot of criticism over the years, often being blamed for poor team performances. His pace has been questioned and his attacking abilities have been thrown under scrutiny, but just when we needed a safe head at the back, he has come back in to the side from injury and shone. His injury at the start of the season went pretty much unnoticed, as most fans didn’t think he would be much of a miss. Manquillo, a natural right back, deputised for Dummett and whilst the young Spaniard did nothing to show himself up, it proved that a natural left-footer at left-back and someone who has experience, is vital.

Whilst Dummett is indeed not blessed with the attacking nous of the likes of Marcelo, Alba and other world-class full backs and whilst he does not have the greatest of pace (although he showed a fantastic sprint speed last week against Manchester United), his defensive abilities more than make up for his inadequacies going forward.

Dummett’s return to the side has coincided with the emergence Mo Diame. When Diame was signed, he was labelled a number 10, something I queried at the time and consistently questioned whenever he played in that role. Diame is huge, he is powerful, but he also reminded fans of Moussa Sissoko; bags of ability and physical presence but 99% of the time he just looked like he couldn’t be bothered. A training ground fight with captain Lascelles seemed to confirm most fans’ fears that he was indeed just a lazy lump and most, myself included, were hoping he would be sold ASAP.

What has happened over the last 3-4 weeks has blown fans away though, and we have witnessed perhaps the greatest defensive midfielder the world has ever seen (not really – but he has been class). He has been named as the sponsors’ player of the month and no fan will disagree with how deserved this is.

Well done Mo Diame and well done Paul Dummett. I have knocked you both in the past but you have more than proved me wrong and I am absolutely delighted!