Two changes & January signing set to start? – Predicted Newcastle team to face West Ham

This is going to be a tough game against a team in the race to finish in the top four.

We have shown good home form in recent weeks, but we will need to be more consistent on the road. The win at Leeds United was encouraging, but there is room for further improvement.

Below we discuss our predicted eleven for the trip to West Ham United:

Martin Dubravka – The goalkeeper has kept two clean sheets in three matches and he is approaching his best form. It has been a tough 12 months for Dubravka with injuries and some key errors. However, he looks to have his confidence back. 

Emil Krafth – He remains much maligned, but he is the one most likely to start at right back. The Swede was fortunate not to be punished for his error in the build up to Aston Villa’s disallowed goal. That said, he did play okay on the whole and there were some positives for him to take.

Fabian Schar – There will be an appeal to recall Jamaal Lascelles, but Eddie Howe doesn’t like to unsettle a partnership that works. The combination of Schar and Dan Burn looked good last weekend. They deserve another opportunity to develop that relationship this weekend.

Dan Burn – He was excellent last weekend. There is reason to believe he can have a very good second half of the season. His organisation and leadership skills will be crucial if we are to get anything from the game on Saturday.

Matt Targett – It will be good to have our January signing back, as he performed well on his debut. Without Trippier, he will provide another set piece option and he can deliver a good dead ball. There is also likely to be more license for Targett to get forward, with Krafth being the more defensive full back.

Joe Willock – There has been a sharp improvement from Joe Willock in recent weeks. Off the ball, he is a crucial player for Eddie Howe, as he can press high up the pitch and unsettle opposition players. His attacking contributions are increasing every week and a goal is just around the corner.

Jonjo Shelvey – This is going to be an important match for Shelvey. As Trippier is missing, there will be more focus on Shelvey to become the playmaker on the pitch. From the starting players, he is the most creative from deeper areas.

Joelinton – The Brazilian has been a revelation in the central midfield position. His work rate and ball-winning ability means that he is integral to the way Eddie Howe wants to play. The midfield area will be crucial tomorrow. If Joelinton is at his destructive best, we could do well in that battle.

Ryan Fraser – It has been a good period of improvement for Ryan Fraser. He is excellent at finding space in the final third to receive the ball. There is more to come in terms of his final third contributions, but he is improving every week. 

Chris Wood – There has been some criticism of Chris Wood, but his aerial dominance has been important during our good form. His record against West Ham is good, as he has scored seven times against them in the Premier League. 

Allan Saint-Maximin – Last weekend, the West Ham defence struggled to deal with the directness of Harvey Barnes. It led to Vladimir Coufal being taken off early. Saint-Maximin will have seen that and he will be relishing the chance to run at the West Ham defence. The Frenchman has the potential to be the match-winner on Saturday.

OUT – Kieran Trippier and Javier Manquillo?

IN – Emil Krafth and Matt Targett?

One thought on “Two changes & January signing set to start? – Predicted Newcastle team to face West Ham

  1. The “disallowed goal” was not Kraft’s fault. Watch it through again. Willock lost Coutinho who was several yards goal side of Willock in the “channel”. He would have had a free run onto goal if Kraft had not left the winger and moved inside. Kraft’s presence obliged Coutinho to flick the ball on to the winger rather than take the ball and run on goal.
    This sort of thing could lose Willock his place in favour of Bruno.

      (Quote)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *