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Newcastle United are looking to turn things around after a shaky start to the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Newcastle United headed into the third international break of the season sitting 14th in the Premier League table and two points above the relegation zone.
The Magpies have lost their last two league matches away to West Ham United and Brentford and return to action after the international break against Manchester City at St James’ Park on November 22 (5:30pm kick-off). While Newcastle have been solid in the Champions League and Carabao Cup, their league form has taken a hit this season and Eddie Howe is looking for solutions.
But with the January transfer window still over a month away and a busy fixture schedule coming up, the answers will have to come from within.
So far Newcastle have been impacted by several injury issues, namely to £55million summer signing Yoane Wissa. After losing Alexander Isak to Liverpool, Newcastle signed Wissa to help bolster their attack. Wissa scored 20 goals for Brentford last season but has yet to make his debut for Newcastle almost three months after his arrival.
Here we look at a potential dream line-up for Newcastle that could help turn things around this season, provided all players are fit, of course!
GK: Aaron Ramsdale
Nick Pope has been an excellent goalkeeper for Newcastle United and is still Eddie Howe’s preferred choice in goal. But the glimpses we’ve seen of Aaron Ramsdale, especially in the 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Tottenham Hotspur last month, have brought really positive signs.
Having a goalkeeper who is still a very good shot-stopper but also capable of distributing the ball well with his feet could be a real asset to Newcastle and would stop them putting themselves continually on the back foot.
Ramsdale can be that so-called extra defender when Newcastle are in possession but still has good goalkeeping instincts to keep the ball out of the net. Pope has had several good games this season and even made good saves in matches where he has made mistakes, but if Newcastle want to start controlling matches better, Ramsdale could be the ideal choice.
RB: Tino Livramento
Kieran Trippier has been reasonably solid at right-back in Tino Livramento’s absence over the past couple of months. While Livramento has arguably performed better as a left-back historically for Newcastle, his long-term future in the side is as a right-back and getting a good run of games under his belt in the position will only aid the player and, in turn, the team.
Trippier may still be the technically superior option at right-back, but Livramento’s physical prowess and ability to bomb up and down the wing will bring fresh energy into a side that very much needs it at the moment.
CB: Malick Thiaw
Malick Thiaw has arguably been Newcastle’s signing of the season with his performances since coming into the side at centre-back. His recovery speed and wholehearted approach and ability on the ball have quickly made him a fan favourite.
And at just 24, he could be the future of Newcastle’s defence based on the early signs we’ve seen.
CB: Sven Botman
While he has looked shaky in recent matches, a fully fit and on-form Sven Botman is Newcastle’s best defender. Like Thiaw, at 25, he could still have his best years ahead of him and in order for those to be at Newcastle he will have to continue playing and be tied down to a new contract.
Fabian Schär and Dan Burn have been excellent for Newcastle and will continue to be strong options at centre-back. But thinking both long-term and short-term, a partnership of Thiaw and Botman being a success can only help.
LB: Lewis Hall
Lewis Hall has been a big miss from Newcastle’s side due to injuries this year but his quality can’t be questioned. Fully fit, Hall is arguably up there with the best left-backs in the Premier League, as demonstrated in the opening months of the 2024/25 season where he was Newcastle’s best player prior to his injury.
If Newcastle are able to turn things around this season, Hall getting back to his best and playing could have a big say.
CM: Sandro Tonali
One of the few players in Newcastle’s side who gets into every other Premier League team. He was a big reason why The Magpies turned things around last season, can he help them do it again? Newcastle’s big challenge with Tonali will be to keep him at the club long-term. He is contracted until 2029 with the option of a further year after a deal was agreed during his ban to help offset the season he and Newcastle lost out on.
A new contract for Tonali would help ease some fears of a potential exit but a new deal could bring transfer clauses so isn’t quite as essential as it is for a player like Botman, whose deal is up in 2027. But Newcastle’s best chance of keeping Tonali is not from new contracts, but success on the pitch.
CM: Bruno Guimarães
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimarães has embodied the spirit of the club during its most successful period in modern times. But what is more, he’s also an excellent footballer and a central figure in a Brazil squad vying to win the World Cup next year.
Similar to Tonali, Guimarães gets into most Premier League midfields and can be unplayable on his day. But like many players this season, he just needs to perform consistently.
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RW: Jacob Murphy
Ideally, Anthony Elanga would be the option here given Newcastle paid £55million in the hope of upgrading the right wing position. That could well happen in years to come given the Swede is only 23, but right now, based on what has been delivered so far this season as well as in previous seasons, Murphy is Newcastle’s best right-wing option.
He’s become a player who will always get involved and contribute regardless of whether he or the side are playing well, and that’s a valuable quality to have.
LW: Anthony Gordon
Anthony Gordon hasn’t delivered in the Premier League for Newcastle in a while but has both the ability and potential to be one of the best in his position in the Premier League.
The main frustration with Gordon is that everyone knows how good he can be, he proved it a few weeks ago in the Champions League against Benfica. We just need to see it on a consistent basis.
ST/No. 10: Nick Woltemade
Nick Woltemade has been a welcome addition to Newcastle’s side with six goals in 12 starts so far. A very good technical player with excellent link-up play, the German is perhaps more suited to a slightly deeper striker or even No. 10 role to help bring out the best in him.
When you have a striker leading the line who likes to drop deep and play with his back to goal, it reduces the side’s attacking threat. And that’s something we’ve seen from Newcastle this season with Woltemade’s goal return being far better than his opportunities would have suggested.
He’s scored all six of his shots on target for Newcastle, it’s not sustainable and he’s not being used as effectively as he could be. But that’s more down to the circumstances and lack of alternative striker options.
Fortunately, there is a solution waiting just around the corner...
ST: Yoane Wissa
Yoane Wissa is exactly the type of striker Newcastle will need to solve their problems in attack. He hasn’t played at club level since May and has had a bad injury so may not be the answer straight away, but certainly looks it on paper. The 29-year-old plays off the shoulder and is a classic fox-in-the-box with his excellent finishing with both feet as well as his head despite not being the tallest.
Wissa was the short-term solution Newcastle had to losing Isak but we haven’t been able to benefit from it due to his injury.
As this is a ‘dream XI’, we’ve got Wissa back fit and firing. Not only that, the ideal situation for Newcastle that gives them the best chance of turning things around over the next couple of months would be for Wissa to stay at the club rather than head to the African Cup of Nations with DR Congo.
It’s unlikely, but it would certainly benefit the club and even the player to a degree as he looks to get up to speed and back to his best levels after a long time without playing properly.
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