Steve Bruce’s Newcastle system stubbornness makes Elliot Anderson omission all the more shocking

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One positive of Newcastle’s injury woes was that it looked set to give Elliot Anderson a chance in the first-team.

However, the youngster can’t even get on the bench despite Steve Bruce’s depleted squad.

Anderson played for the Under-23s yet again on Monday, looking like Newcastle’s best player in defeat to Leeds.

He previously starred against Sunderland, playing a wonderful role in Adam Wilson’s equaliser.

But despite impressing, Anderson remains out of the picture.

The 18-year-old has looked comfortable in his limited first-team appearances, and is certainly a player who can make a difference.

Newcastle’s attack has been toothless in the past two games, with Steve Bruce insisting on playing a formation that he doesn’t have the players for.

We’ve seen Joe Willock, Ryan Fraser and Dwight Gayle play as attacking midfielders, as we persist with a midfield diamond and split strikers.

While it’s understandable that Anderson isn’t starting, the fact he can’t even get on the bench is baffling.

Anderson can’t even warm the Newcastle bench

It’s even more baffling considering the lack of attacking midfield options. A lot of fans wanted to see Anderson take Almiron’s place, but their wishes are yet to come true.

Bruce is determined to stick with Newcastle’s diamond system. He even used it as an excuse for not starting Andy Carroll or Gayle against West Brom, claiming they didn’t have time to work on a new system.

But if Bruce wants to persist with this system, why won’t he even consider giving Anderson a chance?

He could play in the Almiron role, and the fact he is such an unknown quantity may even give him an advantage.

But instead, you’ve got someone like Matt Ritchie on the bench, a man who has no clear path into the XI.

He isn’t a defender or a central midfielder. He’s a winger or a makeshift wing back, so why have him on the bench if you insist on playing a system that requires neither?

Even Jacob Murphy’s role in this system is unclear. He did well on Friday night, but I couldn’t tell you where he was playing. Square pegs in round holes.

If Newcastle had a bit more invention in their previous two games, they might have been able to turn draws into wins.

Perhaps Anderson could have provided that invention. However, Bruce refuses to give him a chance, despite insisting on a system that suits the teenager perfectly.