Paul Dummett has provided no goals and no assists this season – unsurprisingly, the supporters want a more attacking left-back.
Paul Dummett does a job. He may not surge down the left and provide a relentless stream of on-the-money deliveries but he remains a steadying influence in the backline, a solid defender, the archetypal 6-out-of-10 man.
The Welshman even captained the club this season, albeit against Cheltenham Town in the EFL Cup and it’s no stretch to say he is one of the first names on Rafael Benitez’s team sheet. After all, he’s only missed one Championship game all season.
Yet, that hasn’t stopped a number of Newcastle fans demanding more thrust, more attacking intent, more crosses and assists. It’s difficult to shake the feeling that Dummett at left-back is merely the most reliable option available to Benitez, as it was to Alan Pardew and Steve McClaren due to the injury issues faced by the most natural defensive flanker Massadio Haidara.
After all, Dummett’s most impressive performances in the famous black and white arguably stem back to his brief period at the centre of the defence, such as in their 2-0 win away at Manchester City in the League Cup two years ago. Since then, left-back has been his position and his position alone.
As Rafa himself said earlier in the season, as reported by The Chronicle;
“Paul is a player you can trust and the kind of player sometimes people complain that he doesn’t get forward enough.
“But he’s always doing well. He can make a mistake sometimes like anybody else but he can be trusted.”
He may well inspire trust, but he hardly instils excitement. Yet, with Moroccan understudy Achraf Lazaar set to depart for the African Cup of Nations in the New Year, Dummett’s place in the side could hardly be more secure.
Next season, however, could be a different story. Kevin Mbabu may have only made three Premier League appearances for The Magpies, thrust in at the deep end in the midst of an injury crisis last season, but the 21-year-old did very little to suggest he could be more than a short-term stop gap despite impressing in a 2-2 home draw with Chelsea.
Now, however, during a season-long loan at Young Boys, his performances suggest that he could go some way to answering the demands of the St James’ crowd.
Scoring one and assisting the other as his temporary employers defeated FC Thun 3-2 at the weekend, Mbabu contributed to more goals in 90 minutes than Dummett has in 1587 this season. Moreover, it was Mbabu’s second assist in two games.
Yes, the shallow waters of the Swiss top flight is hardly ideal preparation for life in the Premier League goldfish bowl, but it’s the former Switzerland Under-19 international’s attacking intent that could earn him admiration from the terraces of Tyneside.
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