There have been a handful of players who have had a fantastic season for Newcastle in their return to the Premier League. Cheik Tiote has been a great addition to the Newcastle starting eleven, captain Kevin Nolan has led by example and Joey Barton has been a shining light. Let’s not forget Fabricio Coloccini or Jose Enrique either, who are both well on their way to becoming cult heroes. But who do you think deserves the accolade of being Newcastle United’s player of the season for 2010/11?
The man who has been getting most of the plaudits has been Joey Barton. Despite being regarded as a central midfielder, Barton has made the right side of midfield berth his own and has put in some stellar performances. The England international has been Newcastle’s creative force this season, and has played a hand in many of the Magpies’ goals, whether from set-pieces or open play. His discipline has been almost perfect and if he could score a couple more goals like the screamer against Aston Villa, then he’d really be a class act.
One midfielder who hasn’t been short of goals this season is Kevin Nolan. Nolan might not have the all-round game of Barton, but the ex-Bolton man unquestionably knows how to find the back of the net. The Newcastle captain has netted 12 times this season, making him the Magpies’ top goalscorer. He’s a poacher, a nuisance at corners and luckily we’ve seen that chicken dance a dozen times this season. He’ll never be the prettiest player to watch, but boy is he effective.
If you’ve have said the name Cheik Tiote last season you’d probably have got the response, ‘who’? That’s certainly not the case anymore, as arguably the Premier League signing of the season, and definitely Newcastle’s best summer acquisition, has taken to English football like a duck to water. The St James’ Park faithful love his style of play and his stunning equaliser against Arsenal will be remembered for many years to come. It’s a shame that he’s been booked 14 times this season and thus has missed a handful of games through suspension, but I think that’s something we’ll just have to accept with his tenacious nature.
Other than those three midfielders, Jose Enrique deserves a mention. Earlier in the season he was being held in the same regard as the Premier League’s left backs, but the Spaniard’s form has dipped in recent months and I just hope the Bull’s head hasn’t been turned by a possible summer move to Liverpool. Then there’s Fabricio Coloccini, who is undoubtedly a fans’ favourite. He’s been solid in defence, showing why he’s an international performer, scored a couple of goals and generally looked comfortable at the back. Chelsea fans might be raving about David Luiz, but he’s just a poor man’s Coloccini!
So, who gets the nod? The popular vote is probably Barton, but I’m going to go with Tiote; with or without the yellow cards, the Ivorian has been a revelation on Tyneside, strengthens the spine of the Newcastle team no end and scored ‘that’ goal against Arsenal (I’m sure you won’t mind me mentioning it again). Who do you think deserves to be crowned Newcastle’s player of the season for 2010/11? I’ve gone all democratic and added a poll below so you can decide…
