Eddie Howe is finally getting a tune out of Sandro Tonali at Newcastle United.
The midfielder has been in and out of the team since the end of his suspension, with Sandro Tonali unable to nail down a place in the Newcastle United starting XI.
When Tonali was in the side earlier in the season, there was a problem. Newcastle’s midfield lacked balance, and something had to change. That change saw Tonali dropped, but now he is back in Eddie Howe’s team.
However, his role has changed. In the Magpies’ previous two games, the 24-year-old has played as the deepest midfielder. He has been Newcastle’s number six, which had been Bruno Guimaraes’ role.
But now Tonali and Bruno have swapped positions, and it has resulted in the Italy international finding his feet.
Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United runs with the ball whilst under pressure from Curtis Jones of Liverpool during the Premier League match between N...
Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images
Eddie Howe ‘delighted’ with Sandro Tonali’s recent Newcastle form
That is according to Eddie Howe, who has spoken about Tonali’s recent form during his pre-match press conference.
“He’s done really well in the last two games,” he said.
“I’ve been absolutely delighted with his performances. Most importantly for me, there’s been a good dynamic in midfield. That’s been really pleasing to see. It’s not about the individual players when you’re putting players together, it’s about how that affects the team.
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“I thought the Chelsea game in the cup was just as good. I thought he did really well there. I thought the Nottingham Forest performance off the bench – he was a game-changer there.
“He’s performed really well in recent weeks.”
Unclear if Sandro Tonali will start against Brentford
Tonali has finally found a home in the Newcastle United midfield. While he was neat and tidy as a number eight, he was not having enough of an impact on the game higher up the pitch.
Now he is being asked to play a bit deeper and more central, and it has galvanised a player who is suddenly playing the best football of his Newcastle United career.
With Tonali in the middle, Newcastle’s midfield three finally looks settled. That is largely down to the maestro from Milano, and the hope is that he can carry on this form for a sustained period of time.
However, it remains to be seen if he will start Newcastle’s next game against Brentford.
That is because Howe has told the media that Tonali was suffering with cramp after the Liverpool game. And with the quick turnaround following Wednesday’s game, the Newcastle United manger could be tempted to alter his starting XI.
On Tonali, Howe said: “There were some tired bodies in the team after the game, with Sandro (Tonali) getting cramp with ten or 15 minutes to go.”
Hopefully Tonali is deemed fit enough to start, as it would be real shame if his recent run of strong performances was halted.
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