It has not been a great start for Newcastle United this season. Currently, the Magpies are 14th in the Premier League table and are skirting relegation, which is a rather distinct difference when compared to last year’s success in qualifying for the Champions League. Coach Eddie Howe has been praised for some tactical know-how and the overall transformation of the team, but, this season, fans are calling for a replacement already. The situation has also sparked discussions on platforms like Casino Guys, where enthusiasts often debate team performances, match outcomes and strategies. Should Howe take a step back to look at the team dynamics, there are three major changes that the Newcastle manager can implement to turn things around.
Bring in a Pressing Approach
First, Newcastle has a slightly different approach when it comes to the midfield compared to other teams. While most other clubs operate with the 4-4-2 setup, the Magpies use a 4-3-3 line-up, which turns into a 4-5-1 when their opponents attack with a front five. As such, Newcastle United has a deeper shape. But, this season, rather than being an aggressive option, this strategy has been detrimental, leaving Newcastle far more vulnerable. Add to this a host of injury woes and it becomes clearer where and why the team is struggling.
This type of setup requires a lot of energy to maintain, and as the competition is progressing, it’s clearly becoming a burden. What happens here is that the midfield becomes flat, which makes it easier for other teams to bypass players even with a single pass down the centre. Worse, there’s a difference between the team playing at home and away. Recently, Newcastle has had a very poor run when playing away, and part of this is to do with midfielders defending zonally when away, but man-on-man at home games.
What this means in terms of a tactical change is that Howe should be implementing a more situation-based approach when using this setup. Rather than aggressively pressing in specific zones, players should drop back into a more compact mid-block when the risk versus reward is not in their favour. It might work better at away games and reduce the issues of overcommitting players.
Too much overcommitting
As touched upon, Newcastle is often overcommitting. This is a major weakness because it makes them vulnerable when the opposition switches up their play. Many opposition managers have already identified this as a flaw, and are continuing to exploit this on a regular basis. Solving this issue requires a lot of tactical discipline and an adjustment at the structural level.
For Howe, this means that the fullback needs to keep a better position on the far side rather than pushing forward in all attacking moves. Of course, changing this up will mean sacrificing some overlapping runs, which have been a major feature in the team’s attacking play, and opting instead for secure defence. On the weak side, getting the fullback to hold a deeper position until the ball is at the halfway line might aid in flexibility when there is a quick transition from the opposition.
Being Tactically Flexible
While the 4-3-3 set-up has worked well for this team in the past, this season it emphatically has not. In the 2023-24 Premier League season, due to many injuries in defence, Howe had to change things up and use various other formations including 3-4-2-1 and 4-4-2 formations. What happened then was that the Magpies enjoyed the highest goal-scoring season in the club’s history. As such, this shows that tactical flexibility can really make Newcastle a different beast entirely.
This season, the team is once again struggling with injuries and a slide in form. Considering a change to the 4-3-3 system might give more solidity in the defence while still allowing opportunities for attack. It could be an effective solution for home games where it’s clear Newcastle needs to capitalise on home wins and get good scores as much as possible.
It’s not all cut and dried though, and Howe has had a solid influence on the structure of this team. But with this slide down the ranks, he really needs to change things up, switching play and being more flexible. It’s a quality squad and, with some flexibility, just a few adjustments on the tactical side might be just the thing to get this team climbing the ranks once more.
