The hidden concern facing Eddie Howe if Newcastle fail to sign another midfielder

There is now a two week break for the club to reset. One of the main objectives will be getting players back to full fitness, as we have struggled with numbers in the last couple of months. An early blow has been the news that Joelinton could miss the rest of the season. This news will focus minds when it comes to central midfield, as we are lacking bodies in that area of the pitch. At the time of writing Bruno Guimaraes, Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff are the only naturals in that position.

The transfer window is open and there will be pressure on the club to strengthen in that area. Sandro Tonali won’t be seen again this season. Joelinton is doubtful, while Joe Willock and Elliot Anderson remain on the sidelines. Neither appear to be close to a return and even when they are back, they will need to be eased in.

Another reason why we need a new midfielder is the similarity in styles of Lewis Miley and Sean Longstaff. Statistically, they should be competing for the same position, as they have similar skill sets. When they are used in two of the midfield roles, our midfield lacks balance.

Miley vs Longstaff 

Stats taken from fbref (powered by Opta)

The above graphics show the fbref profiles of two different players. They are very similar and look like they could easily be of the same player from different seasons. However, the left shows Lewis Miley’s while the right shows Sean Longstaff, underlining the similarities of the two players. FB ref has a similar players tool and the most similar player to Lewis Miley in their database is Sean Longstaff.

Since the start of last season, we have played our best football when we have a balanced midfield. Howe likes to have Bruno Guimaraes as the number six. Either side, he likes one physical ball carrier and one hard working box-to-box midfielder. The second role is well suited to Miley and Longstaff. Both are active attackers as shown by their stats above, while they both cover a lot of ground.

However, their low number of progressive carries show that they aren’t as comfortable carrying the ball. Whereas, Joe Willock and Joelinton thrive in this part of the game, while they are also both aggressive ball winners. Neither Longstaff or Miley are aggressive in their tackling. The pair prefer to close passing lanes and pick up loose balls rather than leaving their position to win the ball.

Howe would ideally like to field one of Miley or Longstaff alongside one of Joelinton or Willock ahead of Bruno Guimaraes. That option isn’t currently available to him, so it leaves him with an issue.

Either, one of Miley or Longstaff will need to change their playing style to adapt to the new role in midfield or a new midfielder will need to be signed in the transfer window.

Although Kalvin Phillips has been spoken about as a number six, he has also thrived for England as a physical midfield player. He doesn’t have the ball carrying of Willock or Joelinton, but he would be an upgrade when it comes to ball winning when compared with Miley and Longstaff.

If the club don’t sign a midfield player, there needs to be some understanding given to Howe if the midfield balance remains a big issue.