Newcastle United will be looking for their big players to come to the fore against Sunderland tomorrow and there is no doubting that Yohan Cabaye is one of those players. Alongside Cheik Tiote in the middle of the park, Cabaye will be looking to run the game and grab it by the scruff of the neck. That’s what he’s been doing for most of this season, and against Manchester United in particular he was sensational, something that Alan Pardew’s well aware of.
Pardew did an extensive interview with The Telegraph earlier this week and compared Newcastle United’s very own Yohan Cabaye to the legendary footballer Zinedine Zidane. While both may be French and both have that little edge to their game, Zidane obviously achieved far more during his career, including winning the World Cup in 1998. But Pardew’s comparison between Cabaye and Zizou is all about the first touch.
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Alan Pardew told The Telegraph in regards to signing Cabaye in the summer: “It was a no-brainer. He’d won the double [in France] and not only that but he was the creative force. Zinedine Zidane gave a quote once when he said what made him special was that he never thought about his first touch because he knew he would control it. Cabaye is a bit like that.” There’s no doubt that Cabaye has been an absolute steal, but just how good can he be?
Yohan Cabaye’s first touch is exceptional, his passing range is of the highest standard and as he showed against Man United and Blackburn, he’s a great dead ball striker. Much of this is down to his incredibly sound technique, which has never been more evident than for his first Newcastle goal against Wigan at St James’ Park. He’s not afraid to get stuck in either, but let’s hope his discipline doesn’t fail him tomorrow.
Cabaye is clearly no Zidane, but he has to be regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League right now. He wasn’t quite at the races against Wolves last weekend, but he’ll need to be at the top of his game tomorrow and if he is, he might just make himself a Newcastle hero for many years to come.
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