Time to Send Paul Dummett to the Bench

It’s time.

I’ve been calling for it since the first day that I joined Coming Home Newcastle. Paul Dummett needs to find himself a nice spot on the bench alongside Rafa Benitez in this coming season.

Newcastle return to the Prem after a season in the Championship. One of the biggest reasons that the Toons were relegated in 2016 was a horrendous defense that allowed 65 goals during the domestic campaign. That backline was Daryl Janmaat, Chancel Mbemba, Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett. Dummett was the only remaining starter in the Championship campaign. Janmaat and Coloccini were sold. Mbemba hit the bench, but Dummett remained.

The one credit to Dummett is that he has been dedicated to the club. According to Wales Online, the 25-year-old snubbed the international team this spring to focus on Newcastle. Outside of loyalty though, Dummett brings very little to the table.

Benitez has done a lot to rebuild the defense, bringing in DeAndre Yedlin, Ciaran Clark and Jesus Gamez. More recently he signed Florian Lejeune to ensure that Mbemba will continue to stay on the bench. However, the Magpies have refused to address the poor play at left back.

Bringing in Javi Manquillo from Athletico Madrid is a good move, but he naturally plays on the right side, not the left. It is not a secret that Newcastle has struggled to find consistency at the position. If it wasn’t Dummett this year, it was Vurnon Anita playing out of position or Achraf Lazaar.

Photo by Christian Cooksey/Getty Images

At the moment, it is the position with the greatest need for an upgrade. If Mike Ashley is serious about keeping Newcastle in the Premier League and one day winning trophies, then it is essential to find a replacement for Dummett.

It wouldn’t cost Newcastle an unreasonable amount either. Andrew Robertson from Hull would have been an excellent choice, but instead he joined Liverpool for £10 million.

There are still other players that could be a good fit though for the Magpies. Leicester’s Christian Fuchs could be available at the right price and would provide some leadership to an otherwise very young defensive group.

If youth is desired, Jordan Lukaku, yes Romelu’s younger brother, could be convinced to leave Lazio after just a year with hopes of finding more playing time. He is still relatively raw at 23, but he has worked his way into the Belgium set up and could really flourish under Benitez.

I know I’ve been harping on this for a while, but the reality is that I will continue to do so until Newcastle buy a legitimate left back. Waiting on you Rafa.