Newcastle United deviated from their regular formation on Saturday, and it paid off as Nottingham Forest were defeated 3-2 by the Magpies.
Eddie Howe, Newcastle United’s manager, chose to be a little adventurous at the City Ground on Saturday evening, and it paid off as he witnessed his side win 3-2 against Nottingham Forest.
Bruno Guimaraes was the standout of the night, scoring two excellent goals, including the game-winning shot in the second half. The Brazilian certainly appreciated the opportunity to play farther up the pitch after months of being played at the base of Newcastle’s three-man midfield.
Instead, 17-year-old Lewis Miley was given the job this time around, a position he has not held since a 2-0 defeat to Bournemouth earlier in the season. The teenager performed substantially better in the holding role on Saturday, allowing Guimaraes to move forward on the left of Howe’s midfield trio.
With Miley in the hole and Bruno playing a more forward role, Sean Longstaff was left in his regular place on the right side of midfield. However, when Newcastle’s defence got possession, the academy product frequently attempted to drop deep, allowing Miguel Almiron and Kieran Trippier to find space behind him.
If Trippier wasn’t trying to hog the touchline or assist Almiron down the right channel, he was sitting deep beside Miley in an inverted role, something we’ve seen him do a few times this season. When Trippier went inside into his midfield position, Fabian Schar, Sven Botman, and Dan Burn could stretch across the pitch as a flat back three when Newcastle had the ball.
It must be acknowledged that the new approach suited Howe’s team, who appeared confident when carrying the ball in the first 45 minutes. They did, however, concede two goals before halftime, both of which were attributed to the middle.
“There were a couple of attacks where our midfield was too open and exposed our back four,” Howe stated after the game. “The balance isn’t 100 per cent right in the team.”
In the second half, Howe sought to adhere to his typical game plan, putting Guimaraes back into a holding role with Newcastle leading 3-2 in the final seconds. Miley, for his part, had returned to his position on the left side of the trio.
Due to ongoing injury issues, the north-east club currently has limited options in the middle of the park. The discussion over whether Bruno is better suited to a No. 8 role rather than a No. 6 will continue.
Newcastle was aiming to hold on to a large win on the road, so Howe employed a familiar technique using Tino Livramento. The versatile full-back was again left on the bench as Dan Burn kept his left-back spot, although he came off the bench in the 81st minute to replace Miley.
The exact same substitution was made just six minutes earlier when Newcastle defeated Aston Villa earlier this month, with Livramento’s entrance requiring Newcastle to play a back five rather than a back four on both occasions.
The clamour for Livramento to be given the starting job will undoubtedly continue, but he is such an important alternative to have on the bench. In recent months, the ex-Southampton star has been deployed on both sides, in midfield, and at both left and right back to fill injury-plagued voids throughout the squad.
Is this why Howe, who has always been devoted to Burn, wants Livramento as a mid-game option? In recent, close triumphs, we may have caught a peek of what Newcastle’s manager has in store for the fullback.
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