In the past couple of games, Newcastle have been brilliant defensively. But one man has had to watch on from the bench – Fabian Schar.
The Swiss centre-back has been out of the starting XI since the 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. However, he’s been on the bench for the Magpies’ last three games.
Before his injury, Schar had been one of Newcastle’s best players this season, picking up where he left off last season. The 27-year-old has been composed and committed self, but his defensive presence hasn’t been missed in recent weeks.
Federico Fernandez has been playing in his place as the right-sided centre-back, and has been colossal. Alongside Ciaran Clark and Paul Dummett, the centre-backs have been heroic, putting their bodies on the line and remaining switched on.
But against Sheffield United, despite keeping a brilliant clean sheet, it was clear that Schar was missed.
While we did win 2-0, Sheffield United dominated possession. Of course, the only stat that matters is the score. But Steve Bruce will likely be concerned by his side’s inability to gain control of the ball.
Most of the evening was spent defending, with a lot of long clearances hoofed up the pitch towards an isolated Andy Carroll. Sometimes, it was just a punt towards safety.
This is where Newcastle are missing Schar. He’s as good as a midfielder on the ball, which is massively important when you play with three centre-backs. There is a lot of pressure on the defenders to build attacks from the back, but that’s something we weren’t able to do at all at Bramall Lane.
If Bruce wants his side to have more control, then recalling Schar against Southampton must be on his mind. It would be harsh on whoever is dropped, but that’s the nature of the beast when you have six rock solid centre-backs.
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