I saw ‘quick’ Newcastle player prove that Eddie Howe has been making a big mistake against Wimbledon

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Newcastle United limped past Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday night, but Eddie Howe should be able to take a lot from the game.

He got the chance to give Odysseas Vlachodimos his debut, after Martin Dubravka was forced off with injury. Howe was happy with Vlachodimos’ performance, with the 30-year-old helping Newcastle reach the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Elsewhere, Will Osula showcased why he is seen as a player with potential, even if he failed to score on his first start for Newcastle United. Despite that, Newcastle fans were happy with what they saw from Osula.

But Eddie Howe’s biggest takeaway from Newcastle’s 1-0 win over Wimbledon might involve another one of his summer signings.

Lloyd Kelly started at left-back for Newcastle against Wimbledon

Lloyd Kelly returned to the Newcastle United starting XI on Tuesday night, having been replaced by Lewis Hall for the Manchester City game.

The former Bournemouth defender was deployed at left-back, which is where he has featured most since his move to St James’ Park.

However, Kelly has struggled to make that left-back position his own. That trend continued in the Carabao Cup, with Kelly frustrating Toon fans with his first half display. The 25-year-old was wasteful in possession, either giving the ball away cheaply or slowing the play down with a negative pass.

It was a pretty woeful opening 45 minutes from Kelly, and it prompted a change by Eddie Howe.

Eddie Howe changed Lloyd Kelly’s position at half time

As the second half kicked off, it became evident that Howe had tweaked his back four. Tino Livramento had gone from right-back to left-back, while Emil Krafth had switched positions too. He was now at right-back, which allowed Kelly to slot in at centre-back alongside Fabian Schar.

It proved to be an excellent decision by Howe, as Kelly suddenly looked so much more comfortable in a black and white shirt.

He was dominant in the air as Wimbledon attempted to get up the pitch by going long, while he recycled the ball well as Newcastle tried continuously put their League Two opponents under pressure.

It was a much better display by Kelly, who proved to Howe that his best position is definitely centre-back.

What Lloyd Kelly would need to do to play centre-back for Newcastle

But that could limit Kelly’s minutes at St James’ Park, as it might be tough for him to get in the regular starting XI as a centre-back.

He would need to oust Dan Burn, who has enjoyed a very solid start to the Premier League season. He even kept Erling Haaland quiet on Saturday.

But Kelly is a good alternative to Burn, and he has different traits that could make him a more appealing option. One of those is his speed, with Kelly recently described as a ‘quick’ defender. In contrast, Burn severely lacks pace, and it can be to the detriment of the Magpies.

But given how well Lewis Hall played against Manchester City and how disappointing Kelly was at left-back against Wimbledon, it is clear who should be playing in that position moving forwards.