It took some time, but it finally looks like Rafa Benitez has found his best back three.
Since changing formation, Benitez has chopped and changed at the back, playing a variety of different combinations with varying degrees of success.
However, Saturday’s trio proved they can be the best of the lot.
Newcastle’s back three dominate proceedings
While the trio’s performance was probably heightened by Fabian Schar’s brace, defensively we were excellent.
Jamaal Lascelles looked the best he has since the change in formation, while the team is so much better with Florian Lejeune in it. His super fast return from injury could prove to be key in the quest for survival.
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As for Schar, he channelled the great Philppe Albert with his performance against Cardiff.
If Benitez is going to persist with playing three centre-backs, then he needs players who are strong in possession and can play out from the back. That is exactly what we got from Schar and Lejeune.
The Swiss international proved early on at Newcastle that he can pick out a pass, but the occasional defensive lapse means he struggles in a back four. With an extra defender there for cover, Schar’s mistakes can be patched up.
The addition of Lejeune helped, as it took the pressure off Lascelles to find passes into midfield. More often than not, Lejeune and Schar played passes between themselves and bypassed the skipper, who is far less competent with the ball.
This back three appears to compliment each other brilliantly. Schar is the ball player, Lascelles is the dominant stopper, then Lejeune is a blend of both.
Hopefully this trio can stay fit and put in more performances like they did against Cardiff.