According to The Athletic, Jamal Lewis and Ciaran Clark are set to be dropped from Newcastle United’s 25-man squad. However, Emil Krafth, I believe, should be taken out instead of Lewis.
It will be baffling if Eddie Howe decides to drop Lewis. When you look at Newcastle’s full-backs, in recent times there has been little opportunity for Krafth. He’s played in two Premier League games and one FA Cup match under Howe.
Meanwhile, Lewis was starting in the left-back position ahead of Matt Ritchie before an injury against Liverpool last summer.
In terms of right-back options, the Magpies have Kieran Trippier and Javier Manquillo. At left-back you have loan signing Matt Targett, Paul Dummett and Matt Ritchie, while Manquillo can fill in there too.
Lewis, I believe, is the second-best choice at left-back. In contrast, Krafth is nowhere near as good as Trippier or Manquillo, making the Swede a logical choice for getting the cut.
Since signing for the Toon, Krafth has always looked shaky
The 27-year-old joined Newcastle back in the summer of 2019 for £5million from Amiens. Since his arrival I can’t say I’ve ever been convinced by him. I thought he’d be a solid option considering he plays international football for Sweden.
However, this is not the case. At full-back, he is a liability. If I were to count the number of times I’ve seen the opposition winger glide or dribble past him I’d be taking a lot of time out of my day.
When the manager at the time Steve Bruce was in charge he then changed to five at the back. Krafth would often fill in as one of the centre-backs in the back three. I always saw this as a strange move and I can’t say he fared much better.
Even when it came down to his better performances, I can’t say he ever was one of the standout players. I think it comes down to that he’s probably not suited for the Premier League. He’s probably a right-back better suited for other leagues in Europe.
Since Howe’s arrival, Lewis has shown moments of promise
As for Lewis, he’s shown some promise since the arrival of Eddie Howe.
Under Bruce he failed to make an impact. But against Norwich in particular the Northern Ireland left-back looked was one of the top performers that day. He’s only 24-years-old, so has plenty of time to improve. And he showed his potential at Norwich.
If The Athletic’s report is correct, dropping Lewis is a mistake. Clark’s omission is the right move, but Lewis has more to offer than Krafth.
Krafth has never looked convincing, while Lewis in recent times has looked promising for the Toon. He’d be a good backup for Matt Targett. Krafth, on the other hand, is simply not as good as Trippier or Manquillo.
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