Saying Goodbye to Cabaye, Starting With Norwich

Regardless of what happened at Carrow Road on Tuesday, Yohan Cabaye's all-but-completed move to Paris Saint-Germain was always going to hover over Newcastle United's matchup with Norwich.

How would Newcastle respond to the departure of such an influential player? Would Alan Pardew's troops crumble, like they did in the season's first game when Cabaye was desperate to leave for Arsenal? Or would they rally, as they have for most of the season?

This being Newcastle, it wasn't unreasonable to expect a complete shit show against one of the Premier League's worst teams (with all apologies to Chris Hughton, it's true). A comatose peformance, complete with a Steven Taylor own goal wouldn't have been a surprise.

Instead, we were treated to a hounding attacking first-half display, and, while Norwich carved out a couple of opportunities after the break, Newcastle thoroughly controlled the game for the full 90-plus minutes, regardless of the 0-0 final scoreline. The unlucky result shouldn't overshadow the resilient performance.

Pardew replaced Cabaye by shifting Moussa Sissoko into a central role in front of Vurnon Anita and Cheick Tiote and bringing Hatem Ben Arfa and Sammy Ameobi off the bench and onto the wings. The lineup looked cohesive from the kickoff, with center forward Loic Remy and his wingmen ripping the Norwich backline to shreds.

Ameobi faded as the game wore on, but Ben Arfa, Remy and Sissoko continually drove forward and looked dangerous — at least until Remy was sent off for his foolish dust-up with a theatrical Bradley Johnson. Yet Newcastle couldn't break through; of United's 22 total shots, only three were on target. Granted, Newcastle's three efforts that hit the post didn't technically count as "on target," but United lacked the sort of piercing presence that Cabaye has provided for most of the season (not to mention his potent free kicks).

Remy has been Newcastle's most prolific scorer this season, but Cabaye was the team's calmest finisher. He could have made the difference between a frustrating draw and a deserving win that would have allowed Newcastle to stay firmly in the race for Europe (which, of course, may not be the owner's goal).

So what now?

In the immediate future, Pardew will try to avoid a third straight Tyne-Wear derby defeat without his best player and his best striker. Impending loan signing Luuk de Jong fills a need by giving Pardew another option up front for the rest of the season, and the Dutchman is an alternative when Remy opts for a higher payday in the summer.

Cabaye's departure opens up consistent playing time for Ben Arfa and Anita, so the quality of the starting lineup won't take a total nosedive. The bench is a different story, but in a league that's weak after the top nine teams, Newcastle still looks like it could coast to a top-10 finish without replacing Cabaye in the next three days.

The long term is a different story. Pardew has gotten Newcastle playing the best soccer of his tenure this season — more possession, with quick passing, a fast tempo and better off-ball movement in the attack — and Cabaye has been the centerpiece. Finding another forward-thinking central midfielder or a natural No. 10 is a must for the current system, but not every recruit will blossom as Cabaye has.

From a broader perspective, Newcastle can't afford to allow Cabaye to become the first domino to fall. If Mike Ashley, Joe Kinnear, Graham Carr and Lee Charnley fail to adequately replace him and United stumbles through the final 15 games of the season, might Mathieu Debuchy be inclined to explore his options (if he isn't already)? And wouldn't that cement Remy's decision? Suddenly that starting XI isn't looking so strong.

Newcastle lost Cabaye, at least in part, because it couldn't match his lofty goals. If the club isn't careful, others will follow his lead.

Comments

[Jaeger]

ok so he's gone.. time to move on. as long as the money gets reinvested on 1-2 players (preferably on attacking players)by the end of the summer it'll be fine.

thought we responded well against norwich and played some great football in the first half. i think if we start like that against the mackems we will kick their butts.

[M]

Pleasantly surprised to observe that removing Cabaye from the line-up had little negative effect on playing style or performance level (at least this time). In fact, the enforced changes with Yo and Gouff missing were a net positive

If we are to persist with 3 central midfielders, 2 of which hold relatively conservative positions on the field, it's imperative that the wide players provide both creativity and a genuine attacking threat. We'll also need Sissoko (if he's in the middle) to maintain this kind of technical level, retaining possession and reducing the poor touches that tend to creep into his game (85% pass completion vs norwich, about 4% above his average)

Very promising first post-Cabaye performance and let's hope that Pardew is brave enough to persist with such a positive approach