Newcastle United were defeated by an out of form Burnley side at the weekend 1-0 after the Clarets ended a run of three straight defeats. Steve Bruce was missing several key men through injury, and it showed how reliant the Magpies have been on a few crucial individuals to pick up points this season. In the absence of Miguel Almiron, Jonjo Shelvey and Allan Saint-Maximin, Joelinton and Christian Atsu started on the wing with Andy Carroll down the centre, and the visitors looked absolutely toothless.
Despite having nine shots, Newcastle failed to register a single effort on target throughout the match. Only nine times this season has a side failed to register a shot on goal, on three of those occasions it has been Newcastle. Without the pace and dribbling ability of Saint-Maximin and Almiron, the visitors had no effective out ball to relieve pressure and launch attacks.
Furthermore, with no Shelvey in the heart of midfield, few Newcastle players had the accuracy to find their intended targets with long balls. Joelinton made the highest number of key passes for Newcastle, but he struggled to adapt to his wide role and contributed very little else. Carroll won eight aerials but there were no other players in and around the striker to make use of his threat.
For their next encounter, Bruce may have both Shelvey and Almiron back, though their return dates are not yet certain. If all three players are unavailable once again, Bruce may have to alter his formation to bring Joelinton and Carroll closer together. Though that pair might seem too bulky to function effectively alongside one another, Bruce should take inspiration from Sean Dyche’s combination of Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood. Neither of them are particularly mobile, and both are over six-foot, yet as they displayed against Newcastle, they can be particularly effective from crossing scenarios.
Switching to a front two with a midfield three may be the best solution for Bruce while his crucial squad members are sidelined. The experienced Premier League manager must find a solution during the winter or risk being relegation-threatened when his best assets return.
