da betway： It’s staggering to think that Dan Gosling has been at Newcastle United for 15 months. In that time he’s spent about 10 minutes on the field and has yet to start a game for the club due to a knee injury suffered at the tail end of the 2009/10 whilst playing for former club Everton. A calamitous 120-second cameo at the Stadium of Light in January, which was supposedly, the start of his ‘comeback’ ended up with him crocked again and ruled out for the rest of the season.
da esport bet： As a season ticket holder I’ve yet to see him trot out onto the St James’ Park turf. Now back in the fold and fighting fit he is also vying for a place in the most competitive area of the Magpies squad. Gosling has laid down the gauntlet to boss Alan Pardew pledging to deliver goals from midfield and offer an energetic presence in the centre of the park. Is it time he was given a chance?
Vitality is certainly something that has been absent in Newcastle’s midfield and attack so far this campaign and Gosling would provide that in abundance. He would supply an extra dimension than the patient and measured approach adopted since the signing of Yohan Cabaye, which has wielded only three goals in four Premier League games. The loss of Joey Barton forced Pardew into adopting a 4-4-2 formation against QPR on Monday, which saw Cabaye and Cheick Tiote over loaded and unable to attain any space which would allow them to link up with the front line that was starved of any real service and barely able to examine Paddy Kenny’s goalkeeping capabilities. Long story short the side was crying out for an extra midfielder to take the burden away from the first choice pairing. When in possession passing the ball out wide was the only option with QPR having the extra man in midfield making it difficult to reach a pair of strikers who are limited in their abilities. Off the ball Newcastle struggled to contain the home sides three midfielders as they came forward as a unit. Pardew admitted he made an error with his tactics at Loftus Road and it’s likely he’ll revert to the 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation against Aston Villa on Saturday, a system that worked to great effect last season and for a number of games in the current campaign. If he does go with three then Gosling has to be given a chance.
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With the likes of Leon Best, Shola Ameobi and Demba Ba vying for a place up front it’s plain to see that Newcastle have strikers who are limited in the way they play and in all honesty aren’t the best in terms of hitting the net. The team is crying out for a midfielder who can fill the box-to-box role that Tiote and Cabaye are incapable of providing. At 21-years-old Gosling has the legs, fitness and enthusiasm to perform in that role to a very high standard. However one thing that could count in his favour is the fact Pardew inherited him and has brought his own playmaker of sorts in Cabaye. The midfield is at it’s most competitive level in recent season and Gosling’s cause hasn’t been helped by the fact he’s the treatment room has been his port of call for a majority of the managers reign. The same could be said for Hatem Ben Arfa but he had a few games at the start of the last campaign to show his worth to the team before he got injured, Gosling hasn’t had the same opportunities. He looked energetic and sharp on the pre-season tour of America with his attacking play a particular highlight albeit against inferior opposition. It’s something Newcastle lack in midfield at the moment with Cabaye and Tiote opting to sit back, patrol and ping balls about the pitch instead of making strides forward putting the onus and pressure on the wide midfielders and two strikers to hit the back of the net on a consistent basis. I think Gosling deserves a chance to stake a claim for a starting place and build a rapport with the rest of the squad. He could be the man to replace Kevin Nolan and provide goals from midfield – as he proved when he banged two in for the reserves earlier this week.
Unfortunately I have a feeling that Pardew doesn’t rate the England under-21 international and isn’t keen on giving him regular time on the pitch instead persisting with Cabaye and Tiote in the centre despite, at times, appearing to be a one dimensional unit. I’m not saying they are bad players and I’ve been impressed with the former already this season. But with their tortoise approach to attacking I think Gosling could be the missing ingredient providing extra stability and alternatives in midfield. Newcastle need the additional option when in possession and also someone who can make up ground when the ball is relinquished. More importantly he can provide an extra presence in the penalty area and I have no doubts that once he gets into the flow of things, goals will follow in droves.
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