Newcastle have had more formation changes this season than wins.
Steve Bruce has shuffled his pack as if he’s a card dealer in Vegas, but finally looks to have stumbled across the perfect shape.
Graeme Jones’ arrival at the club coincided with Newcastle shifting to a midfield diamond.
The new system has brought a lot of success, picking up two wins out of three.
It’s helped us get higher up the pitch, and got more out of fan favourite Miguel Almiron.
Next up for Newcastle is Chelsea, and Bruce must resist temptation to change things again despite the stronger opposition.
Diamond must continue at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are unbeaten under new boss Thomas Tuchel, but are yet to click into gear offensively.
However, they seem more solid at the back. They’ve conceded just once since Tuchel took over, and that was Antonio Rudiger’s comical own goal against Sheffield United.
While we should be wary of Chelsea, that doesn’t mean we should fear them.
Bruce must not give the opposition too much respect and revert back to a five-man defence.
The temptation will certainly be there given Chelsea’s attacking talent, but our attackers can cause them problems too. If we go to a back five, we’ll be less likely to cause any problems.
We were brave enough to use the diamond at Goodison Park against an in form Everton side, so there’s no reason we shouldn’t see it at Stamford Bridge on Monday night.
Newcastle’s defensive woes might actually force Bruce’s hand here, as he might not have the players to field a back five.
Isaac Hayden had to fill in at centre back against Southampton, while we’ve since lost Fabian Schar to injury.
It’s unknown if Federico Fernandez or Jamaal Lascelles will be fit. However, it seems likely that Ciaran Clark will return, having missed the Saints game due to his partner giving birth, rather than an injury.
The diamond has made Newcastle somewhat watchable in recent weeks – we must continue to use it against Chelsea.
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