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Newcastle United’s training skirmish could end up being a positive

By Carson A Merk

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Mohamed Diame of Newcastle United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St. James Park on October 1, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 01: Mohamed Diame of Newcastle United arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool at St. James Park on October 1, 2017 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images) /
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The skirmish between Jamaal Lascelles and Mohamed Diame may end up as a good thing moving forward.

Rumors of a dust up between Jamaal Lascelles and Mohamed Diame circulated during the international break and Rafa Benitez confirmed them in his presser ahead of Newcastle United’s match vs. Southampton tomorrow. He mentioned he’s seen worse on the training ground and that everything has been steady since the altercation. As our parents always told us growing up, fighting never solves anything. However, the skirmish between the skipper and Diame could end up being a positive for Newcastle moving forward.

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Outside of Jonjo Shelvey injuring his hand playing peacemaker, neither Lascelles or Diame was hurt during the fight. The rumored basis for the disagreement was that Diame was not giving it his full go and Lascelles, recently signing a long term contract extension, lashed into him verbally. Honestly, that’s what a captain is supposed to do. He is responsible for pushing his teammates and making sure everyone is bettering themselves every day, in training and during matches. Two of the most dangerous things for a sports team are lack of accountability and complacency. Lascelles calling out Diame indicates neither problem exists.

For Diame’s side, maybe he needed that. The 30 year old has not impressed in his time with Newcastle United since arriving last year from Hull City. He admitted to being disappointed with his form last season and being singled out by Lascelles could push Diame to work harder and earn time on match day. Ayoze Perez has played ahead of him this season, but has been a weak link so far. If Diame flips a switch in training, Rafa may be more inclined to trot out the hulking attacking midfielder.

Despite picking up a minor injury as an innocent party, the situation may even help Jonjo Shelvey’s image. He’s known as a hothead, receiving multiple misconduct bans over the past two seasons. This time around, he stepped in to calm down his charged up teammates. That shows leadership and the right mindset.

While it is never good to have infighting, this minor altercation may help Newcastle United in the long run.