The Magpies must find a way of stopping Man City and Erling Haaland on Saturday evening
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe smiles during training
Newcastle United head coach Eddie Howe(Image: Getty Images)
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If Newcastle United are to play to their strengths in a bid to stop the Manchester City juggernaut this weekend, then they could do worse than tear up the tried and tested tactics which have served Eddie Howe so well.
The United head coach favours the 4-3-3 approach, and well he might after it has yield so much success for the Magpies in recent years.
But with Pep Guardiola's men arriving at St James' Park for Saturday's 5.30pm kiick-off, I wonder how much thought Howe is giving to a change of formation.
United are have strong options in three key areas of the pitch, namely centre-backs, central midfielders and widemen. The only problem is, the wingers aren't particularly delivering right now, and the best of them, Anthony Gordon, is a doubt for the game with a hip injury.
Time, then, to change things.
With City, and Erling Haaland in particular, in such good form, it could be the ideal opportunity to switch to a back five. Not, I stress, with a defensive mindset, but in order to give United the best chance to getting a positive result.
The reasons are clear. Even with Dan Burn suspended, Howe can field Malick Thiaw, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar as three central defenders, tasking one - I would go with Botman - to man-mark the Norwegian goal machine.
I would then allow the wing-backs to push forward to provide width, with Sandro Tonali and Joelinton - or Lewis Miley if the Brazilian is injured - operating as a midfield pair.
So what of the forward players? United have adopted this set-up before but still used widemen, but for me, there is no need if the wing-backs do their job.
Newcastle have the perfect pair for this in Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, although Kieran Trippier fits the bills in the former's absence.
Instead, Bruno Guimaraes and Gordon - or Jacob Ramsey if Gordon is ruled out - can play as ideal foils to Nick Woltemade in the attacking third of the pitch.
How about his for the line up on Saturdday? Pope, Trippier, Thiaw, Schar, Botman, Hall. Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Ramsey, Woltemade.
It offers the strength through the middle of the park without sacrficing attacking potential at the other end.
Howe surprised us all by adopting a back five in the second leg of the Carabao Cup win over Arsenal last February, and it paid off handsomely then, with United very much on the front foot.
That has to the same approach here - and just maybe it will take Pep and Man City by surprise.