D.O.B: 14th January 1986 (now 25)
Birthplace: Tourcoing, France
Height: 5ft 9in
Yohan Cabaye
Captioned as the Kevin Nolan replacement upon arrival, Yohan Cabaye’s stature at the club couldn’t have grown more in his first 9 league games. Kevin Nolan’s departure to West Ham is now, non-reminiscent, when the season so far is reviewed. With a beautifully crafted goal against Wigan (22/10/11), Cabaye’s goal topped off what has been a dream beginning to what we hope to be a long NUFC career. Excellent vision, versatility, technical ability and a good work ethic has given Yohan almost cult status with the NUFC fans. The one thing that’s surprised me is how quickly he has adapted to the Premier League and how quickly he has earned the respect of the fans in such a short space of time, the player himself adding to what is a wonderful team spirit at the club.
Strengths
As mentioned above, Cabaye is the owner of a footballing brain. Vision, versatility, technical quality, control on the ball and acceleration are all factors I’d add to a long list of strengths. He is a playmaker, yet he has strong defensive abilities and put together with a hard-working ethic, Yohan Cabaye is a box to box midfielder who is currently putting in strong performances week in and week out for the Toon.
Weaknesses
I think there are moments in every game when a player loses concentration and makes a mistake. Thankfully, this will improve as he plays more games in a fast-paced Premier League. Yohan can switch off, even if its only for a short period but his performances seem to be improving week by week.
I genuinely struggled to find weaknesses so please comment if you have any suggestions.
Play Facts
- In France, Yohan is well known for his penalty taking ability (despite Shola Ameobi taking them for NUFC).
- Rumour has it, part of his contract is he has to take corners.
- Began his football career playing for hometown club Tourcoing FC at the age of five.
- Cabaye is unbeaten in his last 24 competitive matches. (22/10/11)
- Has featured for France at U16, U18, U19, U20 and U21 levels.