NUFC October Man of the Month

Newcastle went 3-1-1 in the month of October, extending their unbeaten streak in league play to 10 games in the process. 6 different players scored 11 goals in these 5 fixtures, and the team conceded 8 over that time span, achieving 1 clean sheet. After the jump, see who the nominees and winners for Man of the Match were for each game.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Newcastle United 2

Tim Krul was the runaway winner, garnering 83% of the vote. He was a wizard between the sticks behind an uncharacteristically shaky defense, as he stopped 6 shots, 3 of which could be described as spectacular. Jonas Gutierrez, who had a wonder goal, and Steven Taylor, who blocked a shot at the goal line, each received 2 votes. There was 1 vote for "Other," and it's understood that vote was meant for the linesman that disallowed a Wolves goal that should have been legal.

Newcastle United 2, Tottenham Hotspur 2

Unfortunately, I didn't put up a MotM poll for this, but the consensus among commenters seems to be that Cheik Tiote was the unquestioned bright spot. He made 5 tackles, 5 interceptions, completed 90% of his passes (60/67), and blocked a shot. He was all over the place. Goalscorers Demba Ba and Shola Ameobi, who scored in the 86th minute after entering as a sub, also received mention.

Newcastle United 1, Wigan Athletic 0

Yohan Cabaye, who scored the loan goal in the 81st minute, was CHN's MotM, though it wasn't a majority, as he received 41% of the vote. Tim Krul made a miracle stop in the first five minutes and kept a clean sheet, so he was rewarded with second place, at 25%. Not far behind him with 20% of the vote was Jonas Gutierrez, who quietly had a very strong game. Jonas was the lone spark on the offensive end for much of the game, and he also made a couple of important tackles in the defensive third. Also receiving votes were Fabricio Coloccini, who was again a stalwart, and Sylvain Marveaux. Though Marveaux only played 23 minutes, there was a clear difference in the purpose of Newcastle's attack as soon as he stepped on the pitch, and he assisted Cabaye's goal with a fine touch and a good eye.

Blackburn Rovers 4, Newcastle United 3 (aet)

Nobody except the <10,000 who were in attendance got to actually see this match (despite the presence of a functional video camera), so we didn't vote on this. Danny Guthrie, Yohan Cabaye, and Peter Lovenkrands all scored, and according to the radio announcers, Demba Ba was a major presence as well. Still, naming a Man of the Match is difficult. Too bad there's no existing technology that would allow people outside of the stadium to watch the games. Maybe one day.

Stoke City 1, Newcastle United 3

Demba Ba received 58% of the vote, perhaps the lowest total for a hat trick hero ever. That's not to say he wasn't impressive; there was just lots of praise to go around. Jonas Gutierrez, who was everywhere, doing everything, received 6 votes, and Alan Pardew received 5 for constructing a perfect game plan that allowed Newcastle to out-Stoke Stoke in Britannia Stadium. Yohan Cabaye also received a vote, as did Tim Krul.