Newcastle United have found the solution to one of their biggest problems.
At the start of the season, Eddie Howe was blessed with six fantastic centre-midfield options. Newcastle United were well stocked in that are of the pitch, boosted by the end of Sandro Tonali’s suspension and Joelinton and Joe Willock’s return to fitness.
With Bruno Guimaraes, Sean Longstaff and Lewis Miley too, the Magpies had a wealth of options in the middle of the park.
But despite that depth, Eddie Howe could not find a trio that worked together. Bruno, Joelinton and Tonali were struggling alongside each other, despite being the best option on paper.
The lack of balance was proving to be a real issue, but now Newcastle have found the solution.
Eddie Howe very happy with Newcastle’s midfield three vs Liverpool
During Newcastle’s 3-3 draw with Liverpool, Howe went with Bruno, Joelinton and Tonali in midfield, but made a tweak to the setup he was using earlier in the season.
Tonali played as the ‘six’, while Bruno was more advanced as an ‘eight’. It paid off, as both players were outstanding against Liverpool.
It looks like Newcastle have finally struck the right balance in midfield, and Howe has told the media during his pre-match press conference that there are now ‘great signs for the future’.
“I thought the midfield three worked really well,” he said.
“I think they have to in that game. Liverpool are very good in midfield. They have a lot of movement and rotations in there themselves.
“So I think we have to find a way of trying to control that midfield area and I think the biggest compliment I can give is the opponents – I thought we were very good in that department, especially in the first 45 minutes.
“As I said, I thought their positioning on the pitch is really good. There was a lot of fluid movements, a lot of rotations, but still the structure was what I wanted it to be. So, yeah, great signs for the future.”
Sandro Tonali can now prove he was £55m well spent
Howe believes there are great signs for the future, while one of his biggest signings ever has finally found his home in the starting XI.
At £55million, Sandro Tonali is Newcastle’s second most expensive signing ever behind Alexander Isak. But while Isak has been red hot since his Toon arrival, it has been tough for Tonali.
He struggled to settle during his opening spell in the side, and that was followed by a 10-month suspension for betting.
It has been great to have him back, and Tonali has really shown his quality on occasions. However, he has not been able to find a place in Howe’s XI – until now.
As the deepest midfielder, Tonali looks at home. His passing precision and desire to move the ball quickly makes him perfectly suited to sitting in front of the defence, while his recovery runs add a real layer of protection.
All the while, Bruno was able to make a difference in the final third against Liverpool, as he played higher up the pitch.
The Liverpool game proved that Bruno and Tonali can thrive together, while they were complemented by Joelinton’s power. The balance was right in terms of attack and defence, and now Tonali is a guaranteed starter.
Given Newcastle’s PSR problems, having a £55million midfielder sitting on the bench does not reflect well on your recruitment. But that is not where Tonali will be anymore, as he begins to establish himself as a key player for Eddie Howe.
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