Newcastle and The Curious Case of Yanga-Mbiwa

Article by e-Newcastle Correspondent Adam Vass

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Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa arrived from Montpellier last January along with four other promising French players, this was one of the most exciting transfer windows we have had in the Mike Ashley era. One year on and the appearance of Joe Kinnear has left us fans furious after the sale of the key player and no replacement or permanent signings.

Newcastle’s number 13 made his first appearance as a substitute against Aston Villa as we successfully hung on to a 2-1 lead late in the second half. Mbiwa has had ups and downs with some impressive displays, but the most disappointing appearance at Goodison Park saw him substituted for the out of favour Mike Williamson at half time as we trailed 3-0.

Since the Everton game, Yanga-Mbiwa has had the opportunity to partner Williamson in the central defence due to Collocini’s injury and has made a much better account of himself. Mapou’s clearance off the line against Spurs left many fans praising how he got to the ball for a game winning moment.

Steven Taylor has been injured for the majority of the season but has been allowed to replace Mbiwa in the starting line up, since Taylor has been back we have managed only one clean sheet, with that coming away to Norwich. Taylor for me can have a few great games in a season but always ends up making a mistake which leads to a goal, his positioning is never right and can be a liability when tackling in the box.

I believe that Mbiwa is a key centre back for Newcastle and should be ahead of Taylor in the pecking order. What are your thoughts? Comment below

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