 DANNY Guthrie is not the sort of person who kicks up a fuss. There will not be any toys thrown out of the pram and there will be no doors hanging off hinges leading into the manager’s office. United’s youngest midfielder has been the sacrificial lamb for much of the season, but he does not bleat about it, whine or complain, which is just as well for Chris Hughton. Having blossomed in his preferred central midfield role in the clinical dismantling of Cardiff City last Friday, Guthrie already knows he could be forced to make way for the returning Alan Smith at Derby County tonight. Smith, who missed the game with a thigh problem, has been superb as a defensive midfielder and Kevin Nolan is not only one of the senior players in the dressing room, he remains United’s top goalscorer despite failing to find the net in 2010. Guthrie is the relative youngster and has already been forced to accept his place in pecking order countless times this season, shunted out on to the right wing – or worse the bench – and asked to make the best of an unfamiliar role. It is a job the 22-year-old has fulfilled quietly and diligently. There has been no hint of disgruntlement and no suggestion of dissent, just a begrudging acceptance of the need to yield to the pursuit of a greater good. Frustration tossed with equanimity. Guthrie, whose speed over the ground gave something different to Newcastle than Smith and Nolan’s alternative qualities, said: “It was good to get a chance to play in the middle and I was happy with the performance as well. “I have not had many opportunities to play there this season. “When you are the member of a team you know you are going to have to sacrifice yourself for the team. “It is frustrating, but it is difficult to say anything when you are top of the league and putting in decent performances. “I got the chance against Cardiff to play back in the middle and enjoyed it. “The thing is, we have had Kevin Nolan and Alan Smith in there for most of the season and they have done really well, but I do think I can offer something different. “It is the manager’s decision at the end of the day. “I will be disappointed if I don’t keep my place there, but that is football. There will be a bit of a strop if I don’t play there, but there are a lot of games coming up and the manager has tough decisions to make.” | 
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