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To some degree, Newcastle fans were probably happy to see Cheick Tiote representing his country in the Africa Cup of Nations. Being out of England seemed to chill the transfer rumors that had swirled around him all season. He was better off in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon than turning up in London or Manchester on January 31st. The club didn't seem to miss him in the Premier League, either, as three wins in four matches reignited hopes of a surprise finish in the top four.
Well, Saturday showed just how crucial Tiote truly is to any sustained success Newcastle aspire to this season. As my co-blogger Tom pointed out, Alan Pardew's hapless side managed just 34.6% of the possession at White Hart Lane. Most of it was probably spent picking the ball out of Tim Krul's net. The 5-0 scoreline may have understated Tottenham's dominance of the match.
But we should remember that at full strength, Newcastle played an entertaining, free-flowing, and dead-even 2-2 draw against Spurs at St. James' Park in October. And it was Tiote who controlled the play that day; in fact, the home side won the possession battle by hanging onto the ball 55% of the time.
On Saturday, Spurs seemed to have a grip on the match from the opening handshake on. While we've praised Danny Guthrie's performance here in the past, he's not the sort of player who can neutralize a talented group of midfielders. Tiote, on the other hand, did just that against Tottenham in October, even though Harry Redknapp packed the midfield with Luka Modric, Scott Parker, and Jake Livermore.
In that matchup, Tiote performed his destroyer role with aplomb, with five tackles and five interceptions. Uncharacteristically, though, he also dominated the ball against Spurs. In fact, he had more touches of the ball (91), completed more passes (60 of 67), and did so at a higher percentage (90%) than any other player on either side of the pitch that day. Quite an impressive feat for a player who's often been thought of as a one-dimensional defensive midfielder.
That presence in midfield was what Newcastle lacked above all in this most recent game against Tottenham. No one challenged Redknapp's men at any point, whether through a timely tackle, an incisive pass, or even just a sustained, threatening spell of possession. The team went into North London and got steamrolled, something which wouldn't have happened if Tiote were available.
Tiote also gives Pardew a freer hand in choosing formations and tactics. After complaining that his options were limited against Spurs, he's able to go back to the 4-3-3 that he may prefer, and that we think can make a difference. The 5-0 rout should have set alarm bells ringing on Tyneside this week. But Pardew thinks first of defensive solidity when considering changes. In that regard, Tiote is the ultimate "possession player," who takes the ball off the opposition and finds a teammate with it the vast majority of the time. He's the base that will allow more flexibility in team selection, and hopefully to more chances created.
Newcastle may still have come home empty-handed on Saturday with Tiote, but at least it would have been a contest worth watching. The Ivorian enforcer may have been absent during the club's recent charge up the table. But his presence the next three months will be vital to any hopes of European qualification.