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Newcastle United’s 2010-2019 Midfielder of the Decade

By Carson A Merk

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Newcastle players Yohan Cabaye (c) and Cheick Tiote (l) share a joke during Newcastle United training at The Little Benton training ground on March 13, 2013 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MARCH 13: Newcastle players Yohan Cabaye (c) and Cheick Tiote (l) share a joke during Newcastle United training at The Little Benton training ground on March 13, 2013 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) /
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Our third Newcastle United “Player of the Decade” piece brings us to the middle of the park for Midfielder of the Decade.

Last week, we had a split vote between Tim Krul and Martin Dubravka for Goalkeeper of the Decade for Newcastle United. Earlier this week, Fabricio Coloccini took a unanimous selection for Defender of the Decade. Now, we move to the midfield to determine the best player in the middle of the park for Newcastle in the 2010s.

Top Candidates

Vurnon Anita: 155 appearances, six assists, three goals, and 203 (EPL only) accurate long balls.

Hatem Ben Arfa: 86 appearances, 14 goals, 16 assists, and 14 (EPL only) big chances created.

Yohan Cabaye: 93 appearances, 18 goals, 14 assists, and 297 (EPL only) accurate long balls.

Jack Colback: 102 appearances, ten assists, five goals, and 182 (EPL only) tackles.

Jonas Gutierrez: 131 appearances, eight goals, 407 (EPL only) crosses, and twelve assists.

Moussa Sissoko: 133 appearances, 12 goals, 27 (EPL only) big chances created, and 19 assists.

Jonjo Shelvey: 123 appearances, 13 goals, 19 assists, and 456 (EPL only) accurate long balls.

Cheick Tiote: 156 appearances, nine assists, one goal, and 403 (EPL only) tackles.

Expert Picks

Carson A. Merk: Moussa Sissoko

This was the toughest decision of any position, but I give the nod to Sissoko based on passing and scoring from the midfield and his two-way ability. He also served as a captain at various times during his 2013-16 tenure at the club.

He notched two assists in the 2012-13 Europa League and played a crucial role in the club securing their Premier League safety during the 2014-15 EPL season. He never missed more than four league matches in any of his three full seasons with Newcastle United.

Next. Newcastle should pursue Tosun or the Bat in January. dark

Durim Halimi: Yohan Cabaye

As a supporter of the club, my favorite midfielder of the decade was Jonas Gutierrez, but in terms of overall quality my selection for this award goes to Yohan Cabaye. I am well aware of the fact that Cabaye might have been one of the greediest players to wear a black and white shirt as he lost focus when big clubs made offers for him, but he was a top talent on the pitch.

Cabaye was a true playmaker in midfield and this is reflected in the fact that he was directly involved in 34 goals over three seasons. The Frenchman excelled for Newcastle United in the top flight, but he was also one of the team’s most consistent and dynamic players in the Europa League, too. Cabaye, 33, currently plays for St. Etienne in Ligue 1, which shows he can still perform in a competitive European league, but Newcastle United were fortunate to have the midfielder in the squad during his prime years.