OPINION
Newcastle United’s struggles in central midfield have been well documented this season, with Jonjo Shelvey failing to receive adequate assistance from his partners in the middle of the park.
Mohamed Diame has been manager Rafael Benitez’s first choice alongside Shelvey this term, but the Senegal international has failed to produce his best form.
Summer signing Ki Sung-yueng is yet to convince Benitez, while Isaac Hayden’s exile has continued despite the team’s struggles this campaign.
However, the Spaniard must bring the 6ft 1in midfielder [Source: Transfermarkt] back in from the cold in order to help end the team’s woeful run of form.
When a team is doing so badly it’s vital that the manager swallows his pride and does what is best for the team. In this case, Hayden is unquestionably a superior option to Diame. The 31-year-old is a decent player but he is limited, and he offers precious little protection for the Magpies backline.
Hayden, on the other hand, has shown himself to be a rangy, dominant player in the middle of the park who can set the tempo for the direction of the game.
His passing is far better than Diame’s and Ki’s, while he is a superior defensive option in front of the beleaguered Newcastle back four.
In the past two seasons the 23-year-old has featured regularly for Benitez’s side, but the Englishman has featured just twice this campaign, completing 90 minutes once in the defeat to Arsenal last month.
This can be linked back to the player telling the Shields Gazette that he handed in a transfer request this summer because he desired to move closer to his family in the south of England.
However, Benitez should put that aside and feature Hayden more prominently moving forward if he wants results to improve. The former Arsenal man is the perfect compliment to Shelvey, and Benitez needs to act quickly.
