BBC pundit Pat Nevin has claimed that Eddie Howe made a key mistake in Newcastle United’s game against Luton that he won’t make again.
Newcastle had to dig deep to earn a point having been 4-2 down against the newly promoted side last weekend and many have criticised Howe for his team choices.
Writing for BBC Sport, Nevin claimed that Dan Burn should have been taken off the pitch a lot earlier than Howe actually did and that the head coach will know what to do from now on.
Howe will learn from his recent mistakes at Newcastle
The 46-year-old head coach has come under some heavy criticism as some supporters feel he is favouring players who he relied on last season and not giving a chance to others who would perhaps be a better fit.
We’re all aware of Burn’s weaknesses at left-back and that if the opposition have a pacey winger then they are more often than not going to attack that side of Newcastle’s defence.
Against Aston Villa, Burn had actually enjoyed a solid game until Leon Bailey was brought on and started to exploit the 31-year-old, and then again the same thing happened with Chiedozie Ogbene for Luton.
By the time Howe actually replaced Burn with Tino Livramento, a more mobile and attacking full-back, Newcastle found themselves 4-2 down after Burn had conceded a penalty for the third and lost the ball in midfield for the fourth.
On Howe’s decision, Nevin said: “I was at the eight-goal epic served up by Newcastle and Luton Town at the weekend. In the midst of the madness, left-back Dan Burn had another difficult match. I was also at Aston Villa during the week when he suffered a similar fate. Both Leon Bailey and Chiedozie Ogbene had the pace to burn Dan.
“Eddie Howe spotted the danger early at Villa and changed the system, bringing on Tino Livramento and ensuring his towering full-back wasn’t isolated. It still took him 10 minutes to act and cost Newcastle a goal, but the game was safe with a 3-1 lead and the Magpies held out.
“I was convinced he would change it at half-time, but he still didn’t. By the time he did sub Burn, after the home crowd pleaded for him to do it, 2-2 had become 2-4 with both goals coming from the left. Why did he wait? Howe is a quality coach – he must have seen the problem.
“Was it that rarest of things in the Premier League, a show of sympathy? To hook club stalwart Burn would be an embarrassment to him and everyone including me likes the honest big defender.
“Sadly, there is no room for sentiment in elite competitive sport and I suspect Howe will never do it again. In any case, he wasn’t doing the player any favours leaving him out there to suffer.”
Livramento should be staring for Newcastle from now on
Burn has been an absolutely brilliant servant for Newcastle and Howe in the last two years having signed for £13m from Brighton and helping his boyhood club get to a cup final and reach the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
However, as Nevin suggests, there’s no room for sentiment in football and most fans can see that Livramento would just be so much more effective at defending that left side as well as bringing the ball forwards.
That’s not to suggest that Burn doesn’t bring anything to the team, as his leadership, experience and aerial ability are definitely important, it’s just every game now that team’s are exploiting his lack of pace.
We’ll see this weekend when Newcastle face Nottingham Forest whether Howe is sticking to his guns or if he’s willing to see what Livramento can do after the 21-year-old had some very impressive performances in big games this season.
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