It may be early days for Newcastle’s new right back Emil Krafth, but if the Toon’s mid-week League Cup defeat to Leicester is anything to go by, it will be Javier Manquillo who will soon make the wing back position his own.
After an injury to DeAndre Yedlin in the summer, the right-back position has opened up and both Krafth and Manquillo have been vying for the starting spot.
At first it seemed like the role would be Manquillo’s after he surpassed expectations with some decent pre-season performances.
But the signing of Krafth by Steve Bruce brought some much needed competition to the role, and so far, it’s a competition the Swede has been winning.
Although Manquillo nailed down the starting spot in the Toon’s Premier League opener against Arsenal, it’s Krafth who has started Newcastle’s last three matches.
But does Krafth really bring anything to the wing-back role?
Manquillo is undoubtedly a divisive figure on Tyneside and since signing in 2017, his performances have been inconsistent at best.
In two seasons with the Toon he’s played just 40 league matches, acting mostly as a second choice right-back or emergency left-back.
A previous spell at Sunderland has probably not helped endear him to fans and defensively he can often be found wanting.
But against Leicester this week, the Spaniard showed exactly what he can bring to this Newcastle side.
Comparing Manquillo and Krafth vs. Leicester
Krafth
A decent display against Spurs meant that it was Krafth who once again got the starting place in Newcastle’s opening match of the Carabao Cup.
But while Krafth is certainly an able defender, the Swede appears to add little to Newcastle’s attack.
The Toon’s use of a three at the back formation means the wing-backs have plenty of chances to go forward, however it’s something that Krafth fails to exploit.
The defender was often hesitant to join in attacks against Leicester, and on the rare occasion he did, it wasn’t particularly encouraging.
Played in behind The Foxes’ defence in the first half, Krafth found himself in the box with the chance to shoot or pass across goal.
But the Swede did neither and was visibly panicked at which option to take.
He continued to dribble forward for an age before a flag for offside spared his blushes, and he responded by passing the ball into the back of the net in frustration.
Had the flag not been raised, it’s unlikely it would have ended up there.
In the second half he pulled up with a thigh issue early on, and soon made way for Manquillo.
And within minutes it became clear what Newcastle had been missing.
Manquillo
In the first half, Newcastle had been stale, with Leicester taking a 1-0 lead through a deflected free-kick from James Maddison.
But after the introduction of Manquillo, the Toon’s intensity instantly increased.
While the Spaniard still has his defensive doubters, its undeniable that he offers NUFC more options going forward.
Throughout the second half, he bombed forward and constantly looked to take advantage of space left open by Leicester’s Christian Fuchs.
Crucially, this gave Newcastle the width they’d been lacking, and they soon began to cause Leicester problems.
Long balls out wide to Manquillo or Jetro Willems in left back, stretched The Foxes’ defence, and the Toon soon equalised through Yoshinori Muto.
And the right back himself was unlucky not to make a more telling contribution in the closing stages.
Manquillo caught Leicester on the break numerous times, and twice found himself on the edge of the penalty area with the chance to bag an assist.
However on both occasions he elected to cut back to youngster Matty Longstaff, who wasted the opportunities through indecision.
Had Newcastle fielded a full strength team, it’s likely Manquillo would have had an even greater impact.
Manquillo must take opportunity vs. Watford
With Emil Krafth a doubt for NUFC’s next PL match against Watford, Manquillo will never get a better chance to cement his place in the team.
Watford have lost all three of their opening matches and have a whopping -6 goal difference already, the worst in the league.
Bruce needs to take advantage of this by fielding a side that can punish their defensive frailties.
With so many injuries plaguing the squad, Manquillo might just be one of Newcastle’s best attacking outlets come the weekend.
Receive a digest of our best Newcastle content each week direct to your mailbox
