On paper, the Newcastle United squad looks strong. In
midfield they possess a number of quality options whilst in defence there is a
strong first team core. Why therefore, did Newcastle end up in a relegation
battle? Whilst the team suffered many injuries this is far from the only
reason. Alan Pardew’s tactical ineptitude was exposed as the likes of Yohan
Cabaye, Moussa Sissoko, Papiss Cisse and Jonas Gutierrez were all frequently
picked in positions which are not where they help the team most. The decision
to replace the successful 4-3-3 formation of the 2011/12 season puzzled many
fans but it was down to one factor- Demba Ba. Ba’s unhappiness at being forced
to play wide prompted Alan Pardew to try and pair him upfront with Papiss Cisse
limiting the impact of the mercurial Hatem Ben Arfa and in other situations
Cisse was banished to the right wing where he was far less effective than Ba was
when he was operating on the left. Whilst the idea behind this was flawed, fans
could understand why Pardew was trying to make this move. So much so that many
fans, including myself were happy when Demba Ba left the club, assuming that it
would mean a return to last season’s 4-3-3. What followed confused the fans,
Moussa Sissoko, a defensive midfielder was positioned in the no.10 role whilst
Yohan Cabaye was positioned in a quarter back role, limiting his impact in the
final third. A 4-4-1-1 formation was used and still Hatem Ben Arfa was not
given the license to roam as he is when he is at his best.
The result of this was direct football. Whether this was as
a result of Alan Pardew’s tactics or the plan of Alan Pardew’s tactics is
unclear. This does not matter, what Pardew needs to do is get Newcastle playing
the free-flowing passing football that they played at the end of the 2011/12
season. This for me, involves Yohan Cabaye moving up and supporting Papiss
Cisse. Even last season, when Cabaye was given few opportunities in the
attacking midfield role, his best performances came in that position, the 3-0
home win over Bordeaux for me Newcastle’s best performance of the season and
the 1-1 draw at Liverpool. Too often Cabaye was forced to sit deep leaving him
to do too much to create chances and his frustration was understandable and often
evident. As a result Papiss Cisse got few chances, and this was the significant
reason for the decline of his goal tally. Whilst Cisse missed chances last
season, I think that as the kind of striker he is, he is likely to miss some
chances. Even in 2011/12 I remember him missing chances but he gets himself
into the positions to score goals and if Newcastle create enough chances for
him, he will deliver. Too often he was only given only one chance in a game
last season or even sometimes nothing. I remember the Norwich game of 2011/12
where he missed a hatful of chances but still scored the winner. There were
very few games like that last season for Newcastle. How many games did
Newcastle really dominate last season? I can think of just two, the 3-0 wins
against Bordeaux and a Wigan side who only had 10 men for the majority of the
match and this particularly needs to change.
Vurnon Anita is someone who could help Newcastle dominate games,
in Cabaye, Anita, Tiote and Sissoko Newcastle have quality options in midfield.
Anita was used sparingly in the second half of the premier league last season
and this is inexplicable as after a tough start, the Dutch International was
probably United’s best player in the months of November and December. Whilst
Cheick Tiote had an awful season last season, I believe he had a similar
problem to Yohan Cabaye in that he was forced to do too much. Tiote isn’t a
creator, he is a very good ball winner but too often he gave the ball away last
season. I believe this was often due to the lack of players being available to
play a short pass to, so the Ivorian international tried to create something
himself, leaving mostly to a changeover in possession. I believe a return to a
4-3-3 formation would lead Tiote to find some of his old form.
Sylvain Marveaux was used poorly by Pardew last season and
my belief is that he should have been one of the first names on the team sheet
at the end of the season. He was in my opinion, the outstanding player of
Newcastle’s poor season. His creativity was evident in his roles in the winning
goals versus Anzhi and Stoke City yet week after week the willing but ageing Jonas
Gutierrez was selected in front of him. I love Jonas Gutierrez and everything
he has given to Newcastle United but the truth is I don’t think he has a role
to play at Newcastle anymore. I see his best position as a left midfielder in a
4-4-2 but Newcastle shouldn’t be playing that formation as it limits their most
talented player Hatem Ben Arfa. Whilst Ben Arfa was injured or playing through
an injury last season, he was positioned mainly in midfield when he did play
rather than on the right hand side of an attacking three where he should be. In
the right midfield role, he has to think about his defensive duties too much
and Ben Arfa’s strength is certainly not in his defending, it limits his
ability to roam. For me, when Ben Arfa is playing on the right side of an
attacking 3 at his best there are very few players better in the premier
league, I genuinely believe that, he is a genuine match winner. Newcastle
United cannot afford to limit their most talented player he should be let
loose.
The defence is also a concern but I think many of the issues
are caused by the direct football of last season with no players to be direct
to, which led to the ball coming straight back at Newcastle. This put a lot of
pressure on the Newcastle back four. The defence is however, visibly so much
stronger when Fabriccio Coloccini is in the starting line-up and this
overreliance is something Newcastle have to address as a defence of Mathieu
Debuchy, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Steven Taylor and Davide Santon should be strong
enough to cope without the skipper from time to time. I believe if Coloccini
hadn’t returned at the end of last season Newcastle United would have been
relegated.
I believe if Alan Pardew rectifies the errors I have
outlined above Newcastle should finish in the top half. Failure to do so will
result in a relegation battle once more for the Magpies. For me the first
choice Newcastle team should be in a 4231 formation from right to left: Krul,
Debuchy, Taylor, Coloccini, Santon, Anita, Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Cabaye, Marveaux,
Cisse
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