Newcastle failed to open up a lead as they faltered miserably at St. James’ Park last weekend to a rejuvenated Fulham side. The Cottagers bulldozed past Rafael Benitez’s men and earned a scintillating 1-3 win to reclassify themselves as promotion hopefuls. However, in constructing the Geordies into a fearsome outfit once again, Benitez got a perfect glimpse of a talismanic midfielder whom he should pursue once the curtains of the summer transfer window get lifted.
Tom Cairney found himself comprehensively marked by the black and white crop in their last outing but he somehow managed to create acres of spaces and chipped in with a goal apart from vehemently troubling the Newcastle United backline time and again.
The former Real Madrid gaffer was thoroughly invested in the idea of bringing Cairney under his ranks in the transfer window which transpired in January but failed to get the deal across the line. Nonetheless, his interest made perfect sense.
The 26-year-old is a left-sided playmaker who might not possess the fastest of legs but he nullifies his drawback in a shrewd manner by capitalising on the intelligent football brain of his. He pulls the strings in a sensational manner, making precise movements on and off the ball, has the ability to maintain the decorum of his style of play under pressure and makes the opponents’ defence go haywire with his creative abilities. A perfect utility player through and through, the former Blackburn Rovers man would fit perfectly under Benitez’s regime.
Under the notable tutelage of Slavisa Jokanovic, Cairney has thrived quite well and has cemented his spot in the starting line-up, courtesy of his calibre, week in and week out. In a total of 34 appearances in the Championship this term, he has notched up 34 appearances for Fulham, during which he has bagged 9 goals, created as many as 95 chances and has also registered 7 assists to his name to maintain his stronghold as a player who has only seen an upward rise in his career’s trajectory.
What is much more intriguing is the way he has managed to knit the London-based outfit together. Cairney boasts of a pass accuracy of 92% which is simply phenomenal, to say the least. Benitez would be keen to bolster the quality of his midfield, for an uplift to the Premier League appears to be seemingly likely for the Magpies, and Cairney does fit the bill quite well.
Statistics Credits: Squawka
