4. James Perch Is An Invaluable Squad Asset
I've said it before, and I will again: though he was cruelly lambasted during his first season with Newcastle, James Perch has come on leaps and bounds and represents one of the biggest assets the club have right now. That is not just in terms of his performances on the pitch, which so far this season have been mostly exceptional - as they were last term - it's also down to how valuable his versatility is to plugging holes in the squad. The former Forest man can play anywhere across the back four, proving himself to be a more than capable stand-in for all of the first choice defence, and his ability in defensive midfield make him the second best in that position currently at the club behind Tiote. He is in effect covering the value of at least two squad players, because he fits into so many holes, and though he might not be considered among the best in the Premier League by any means, his value to the current Newcastle squad cannot be under-estimated at all. Yesterday coming on for a dismayed and unlucky Shola Ameobi, who likes nothing more than scoring against the Toon's fiercest rivals, Perch threw his body on the line, making key interceptions and tackles that protected the back four from an onslaught that should have happened once Tiote was off the pitch. He was as calm and assured as usual, and his cool head in choosing passes, as well as his technical ability to execute them made him a steadying influence in the middle of the park - in short, he was the perfect antidote to both Tiote's natural hot-headedness and the temperature of the occasion.