Newcastle United’s fortunes changed when Sandro Tonali’s position changed.
There was great excitement when Sandro Tonali returned from suspension. However, it was immediately unclear what his role in the Newcastle United midfield would be.
Upon his return, Eddie Howe deployed Tonali as an ‘eight’. Four consecutive Premier League starts there resulted in zero wins.
Despite his obvious ability, something was not right. He was not influencing the game enough, as Newcastle United struggled to strike a balance in midfield.
Now they have that balance, with Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes swapping roles. The Italian now operates as the ‘six’, protecting the defence with his running power. As for Bruno, he has the freedom to play higher up the pitch and influence the game in the final third.
When Eddie Howe decided to change Sandro Tonali’s position
Tonali is now being compared to Rodri, but why did it take Howe so long to make this change?
According to the i Paper, Howe did not want to make the change until he knew that Tonali was ready for the physical demands of playing as a ‘six’ in the Premier League.
The i Paper add that Newcastle United are paying closer attention to performance data, and waited until Tonali was hitting the necessary numbers to make the change.
Tonali change has transformed Newcastle United
Tonali excelled as Newcastle’s number six against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. That was Toon fans’ first hint of what the 24-year-old could do in that role.
However, the change in the Premier League did not come until November 30th when Newcastle United drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace. While the Magpies were poor overall, Tonali was impressive at Selhurst Park.
He then continued his good form against Liverpool, before being rested for the disastrous defeat away to Brentford.
Following that loss, Newcastle United have won eight games in a row, and Tonali has been integral to that run. He has been the foundation of our success.
Tonali is much better suited to being the deeper midfielder. He anticipates danger and is outstanding at winning back possession, while his running power makes Newcastle less susceptible to counterattacks.
In possession, Tonali is crisp. He moves the ball so fast and with incredible precision, already knowing what he is going to do with it before receiving possession.
That is a contrast to Bruno, who is more thoughtful and wants more time on the ball. He is now free to play higher up, and it has resulted in the 27-year-old getting more goals and assists. In total this season, Bruno has one goal and seven assists.
Tonali changing position has changed Newcastle United for the better, as Howe waited until the perfect moment to unleash his midfield maestro.
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