5. Jonas Gutierrez Is More Valuable In The Middle
Though Gutierrez is the epitome of industry in the Newcastle side, never quite attracting the praise he should for what he does in the name of the team's success, he is never quite as effective on the wing these days as he once was, and looks far more comfortable in the middle, able to pick passes out. Out wide, yesterday Gutierrez found himself facing two and sometimes three defending players, boxing him in and making the opportunity to run down the line, or invite Davide Santon to overlap very hard, thanks to Spurs discipline and will to contain any of Santon's runs out wide. He cut a frustrated figure for the first half, having to go backwards or sideways rather than forwards, and it plainly wasn't working out as well as it could have until Newcastle switched to 4-3-3 and Gutierrez began to operate in the middle alongside a less than match-sharp-looking Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote. Since he has started playing in the middle, the Argentine has looked a very assured player, confident and as strong defensively as he is going forward, and it was no coincidence that his only real attacking threat yesterday - a long range shot that tested Brad Friedel late on - came from a central position.