When we thankfully return to domestic business this coming weekend Newcastle United will be looking to attack the upper echelons of the Premier League which means foot firmly on the accelerator for three high profile combative encounters.
Brighton upon home turf kicks off a tasty trio to be followed by Chelsea away and Arsenal back at home _ no easy ride with all three above the Mags in the table but then this is billed as the most competitive league in global football.
United and the Seagulls have an identical record apart from goal difference which indicates a close encounter though it is the most winnable of the three. I always feel that Brighton can have a soft underbelly if you get at them _ stand off and they are capable of playing most teams to death
It is rumoured _ and please may it be so _ that Alexander Isak will be back to face them up full frontal while long term injury absentees Callum Wilson and Lewis Miley might even be available for their seasonal debuts but Kieran Trippier looks pretty certain to miss out.
So what will, what should, Eddie Howe do to get United up and running again? Let us consider his options. Let’s play NUFC manager for a day. Nothing is more fun.
Basically it breaks down like this
GOALKEEPER: Despite Odysseas Vlachodimos helping Greece to a shock victory over England at Wembley there is absolutely no challenge to Nick Pope. He reigns supreme.
FULL-BACKS: With Tripps occupying the treatment room it looks a choice between Tino Livramento and Emil Krafth at right-back and Lewis Hall and Lloyd Kelly on the other tramline. Simple I would say, it has to be England’s possible future pairing of Tino and Lewis. Krafth has been away with Sweden and is as solid as a rock but not the potential Rolls Royce that Livramento is while Kelly is still finding his feet and best position since his free transfer in the summer from Bournemouth.
Hall will be involved in an interesting confrontation trying to keep Yankuba Minteh quiet. On another day Minteh could have been lining up against Brighton at SJP and he’ll be bursting his britches to show Newcastle and their fans what they have missed by selling him before he had a chance to play in the famous black and white stripes. Heaven forbid he is successful! It will be a real test of Hall’s defensive nous _ we have no doubt of his ability on the ball but quick players running off the back of him can be quite a concern.
CENTRAL DEFENDERS: With Sven Botman still unavailable there is little choice. Fabian Schar is a shoo-in while Dan Burn will hold off any challenge from Kelly to play against his old club. Burn represented Brighton 85 times becoming part of a growing list of players they helped reach fruition and sold on for a fair few quid.
He is a big man with broad shoulders, something a footballer needs off the field these times as much as on. He has spoken bravely and movingly about his troubles in an interview to mark world mental health day, how he suffered early on at Fulham. Now he is one of the few players who do not have an Instagram account or page on X which given some of the trolls who poison social media and spoil what is in principle an invigorating platform is totally understandable.
Criticism is part of life in the public eye and as such has to be accepted but some of what is spewed is so viciously personal that it is intended to mortally wound its victim.
MIDFIELD: Plenty of bodies with Joe Willock heralding his availability once again, Sean Longstaff always in Howe’s thoughts, and Miley threatening to return from hibernation but I would suggest an international threesome _ Bruno, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton – will stand firm. United need to be cautious with a young player like Miley who hasn’t kicked a ball since last season and when he does make match day it will be on the subs’ bench with if anything a gentle late reintroduction.
FRONT THREE: It boils down thus _ Anthony Gordon, Jacob Murphy or Miggy Almiron on the right; Isak, Wilson or Gordon centre-forward; and Gordon or Harvey Barnes left side.
Almiron is way back in the pecking order and while Howe has a soft spot for Murphy I would go with Gordon though I prefer him on his natural left side where he deserves to play. Isak is the automatic No.9 with Gordon having to fill in if the unthinkable occurs and the big Swede is not available yet again. Apart from the last nine minutes on the last day of last season Wilson has not been seen since Hadrian deserted his wall and headed back to Rome. Callum is so far off match fitness that he will be only a fleeting sub once again as against Brentford in United’s May finale when he is deemed ready enough to even sit on the bench.
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