Eddie Howe to now go with a Newcastle United back five? | OneFootball

After the good, solid win against Bilbao on Wednesday night. I must admit that aside from getting a good three points and putting us in a great position in the Champions League table, I saw the return of Lewis Hall (as well as the fit again Kieran Trippier) as massive plus points.

I’m a big advocate of Eddie Howe playing with a Newcastle United back five as it can harmonise defence and attack in a way that some other formations simply don’t.

We’ve certainly seen the end of 4-4-2 in football as it’s hardly ever used, due to being deemed too open a formation to risk.

One man’s 5-3-2 is another man’s 3-5-2, or even 5-3-1-1, whilst depending on the personnel playing it can also be some other person’s 4-3-3.

Now Eddie Howe has more routinely gone with the latter and we haven’t done too badly with it. Yes, there have been some aberrations like last weekend’s defeat down at West Ham, where I could repeatedly look at the side that finished that game and a week later STILL not know what formation we were playing.

Eddie has on occasion donned a Newcastle United back five and whilst I don’t think he would use it excessively, I think we are starting to see a group of players that could suit such a set-up almost perfectly, as we have some cracking wing-back candidates in Trippier, Hall and the soon to be fit again Tino Livramento. We also have some great centre-backs to choose from in a back four, but on that, I fear there is an elephant in the room.

Dan Burn has performed admirably at left-back, he CAN obviously play well there, but I see that as far from ideal. He would probably admit himself that he’s not the quickest and the option of a Hall, Tino, or even a Trippier, would be better at offering a bit more pace out wide. So really, there is no need to play him there unless in an emergency, as we’ve seen in recent weeks. I certainly wouldn’t have a problem with it but I would look for the best possible option.

We have more than enough numbers to play with three centre-backs in a Newcastle United back five. Take your pick from Sven Botman, Malick Thiaw, Fabian Schar and Dan Burn himself. If one gets injured during a match, you can easily drop to a back four anyway.

This formation also allows options and security further forward. Bruno, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali haven’t let us down very often and I’ve always advocated that when Newcastle (or indeed any side) boss the midfield, you tend to get the better results.

A Newcastle United back five would surely take the pressure of that midfield and we have some pretty good options in Lewis Miley, Joe Willock and Jacob Ramsey, should Eddie Howe need to rotate or bring on substitutions.

A further issue a Newcastle United back five “sorts out” is our wingers. Anthony Gordon (now injured) is out of sorts, certainly in domestic fixtures, and his productivity at the minute is poor.

Harvey Barnes IS the quintessential “super sub” or “impact player”, he might not like that, but it’s fact. As for Anthony Elanga, we have an expensive summer signing that can’t get in the team, seems to be another player that will take a bit of time to be “Eddie Howe” ready.

In the midst of it all we have Jacob Murphy. What the lad has to do to win some fans’ praise lord knows. Score a hat-trick every week I assume.

We are still in transition up front with Big Nick Woltemade, but he’s made a great start, despite not being an out and out centre forward. Could the return of Yoane Wissa ease the German back into his deeper role? Could a Barnes, Gordon, Will Osula or Elanga float behind Wissa when Nick is to be rested? If it’s Woltemade and Wissa that would get TWO potentially great goalscorers on the pitch at the same time, something you don’t get with a 4-3-3.

The thing you DO get with Howe’s preferred 4-3-3 is the high press that has worked for us many times. Can you get it with a 5-3-2/5-3-1-1? I would imagine the answer is yes, in a fashion, but that would be for someone far more qualified than me to implement successfully. Over to Eddie Howe and his backroom team.

Our domestic league form has been stuttering at best but we still have more than enough time to rise up the table. As an aside, you have to be honest and say the mackems have had an excellent start to their season, while we’ve been perceived to have had a poor one. Still only a six point gap though and that’s NOT a sly dig at them, it’s fact.

We have the tools to turn this season round after a less than stellar start. But since when have we been good starters anyway? I seem to remember us being in a similar situation last season and we still made a good fist of it in the second half of the season.

We all pretty much know what our best starting eleven is in a 4-3-3 and I’m sure Eddie Howe will mix it up as he sees fit in the coming weeks, with Europe and League Cup campaigns going deep into Christmas and 2026.

I’d be interested to hear in the comments section below what player selections other NUFC fans would prefer, if he were to go with a Newcastle United back five. As well as of course, whether anyone doesn’t actually rate that kind of formation at all.