Newcastle United great Alan Shearer praised Eddie Howe’s critical tactical change, which helped the Magpies upset Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 in the Premier League.
Newcastle’s win over Wolves was their first at St James’ Park since December. Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon scored in the first half, while Tino Livramento added his first goal for the club. Howe’s squad is now ninth in the Premier League, four points behind sixth-placed Manchester United.
Newcastle were back to their best after being handily defeated at Arsenal the previous week and scraping through against Championship club Blackburn in the FA Cup. Shearer, who was harshly critical of his former team following the loss against Arsenal, has applauded Howe’s minor changes to his squad.
The only change from Tuesday night was defender Sven Botman replacing Jamaal Lascelles at centre-back. The alteration resulted in a tighter backline, giving Pedro Neto and Pablo Sarabia no room to run behind.
And Shearer has praised Howe’s initiative. On Match of the Day, he stated, “It was a minor adjustment today. They sat a little deeper, which meant there was less space between the lines in midfield, and they did it quite effectively.
“They had numbers behind the ball, and when they won, they tried to hit them immediately on the break. Look at the first goal; you’ve got the pace with Gordon, who’s having a fantastic season. We’ll look at Bruno and where he comes from for the goal in a minute, followed by a tap-in for Isak.
“But when you look at the setup, it appears that they sat a little deeper and did not leave much space. When under pressure, they were more selective and pragmatic. They got men in, then chose their moment to press and prevent the ball from reaching the forwards while allowing any space there.
“Then they win the ball and attempt to hit them on the break. Bruno, look where he came from. He comes from his own box to support the assault, and Isak earned that tap in.”
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