Newcastle 1-0 Norwich: 6 Things We Learned

5. Tiote€™s Back

Having been injured since the opening game of the season against Tottenham, Newcastle have severely missed the Ivorian€™s steely influence in the middle of the park. The destructive midfielder was subbed on with 15 minutes to play and didn€™t waste much time getting into the swing of things picking up his mandatory booking. His dribbling around the box won€™t have pleased Pardew but his fitness didn€™t look an issue and he helped Newcastle shut up shop and secure a vital 3 points. Whether or not he stays injury free will be key for the Magpies this season, when he€™s injured (or absent as the case will be during ACON) our next best deputy is either jack-of-all-trades James Perch or youngster Gael Bigirimana, both of whom lack the punch of Tiote. Ever since the wonder-goal against Arsenal Tiote has shown an unbridled desire to shoot from ever-increasing distances, his 40-yard effort against Norwich being the low point. Perhaps a word in his ear from one of the coaches about looking for a pass instead would be wise, last season Cheick was the record holder for the most shots without a goal in the Premier League.