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NEWCASTLE HAVE USED FOUR DIFFERENT TACTICAL SYSTEMS TO GAIN 10 PREMIER LEAGUE
POINTS


By Chris Waugh
3h ago

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

St James’ Park was empty, ground staff aside, with the thrill of another
on-field demolition of Tottenham Hotspur already 90 minutes in the past.

As sunshine turned to rain and Newcastle United supporters celebrated in the
city, the man who had masterminded the gameplan had shut himself away in the
manager’s office, watching the game back.

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Eddie Howe is a workaholic and a perfectionist. While he was delighted by how
his depleted team had executed a bespoke blueprint they had only learned about
on Tuesday, Howe believed that his initial full-game review — several will
follow — was best conducted immediately.

Rather than wallow in his tactical triumph, Howe was already striving for more.

Newcastle’s manager still feels he can extract even more from a squad which has
collected 10 points since the international break to revive their European push.

In those four unbeaten matches, Newcastle have claimed three wins and a draw in
four contrasting styles – and the most radical delivered the most comprehensive
of victories on Saturday.

Only three times in his previous 118 Newcastle fixtures had Howe started with a
central-defensive trio, and only once, against Brentford in November 2021, was
it a back three, rather than a five.

Yet, on Tuesday, in a detailed but digestible presentation, Howe informed his
squad that to disrupt Spurs’ pressing, and to best apply his reduced resources,
he would deploy a back three. An injury-diminished squad, featuring just 12
senior outfield players, practised the intricacies of the system on Wednesday
and Thursday, before Howe selected the XI on Friday.


Newcastle disguised their intentions against Spurs in the warm-up (Serena
Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)

Yet Howe’s strategy was far more nuanced than a conventional 3-4-3. Dan Burn and
Emil Krafth were tasked with being left- and right-sided centre-halves bordering
on full-backs, while Jacob Murphy transitioned in-game between being an
attacking right wing-back and a right-back in a flat four. Most skilfully of
all, Elliot Anderson, an attacking midfielder, learned a hybrid No 8 and left
wing-back role inside three days.

So that the ploy retained an element of surprise until kick-off, Howe’s coaching
staff even lined up the defence as a back four during the warm-up, with Murphy
at left-back and Krafth right-back.

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This was the latest example of Howe shifting his approach — he did so against
Wolves last month — by introducing a degree of short-term pragmatism into his
overarching philosophy. “We’re not averse to changing as long as it doesn’t veer
from our long-term planning and we don’t lose our principles,” he said.

It is testament to Howe’s coaching acumen that he has overseen the
implementation of four varied gameplans inside a fortnight. The Athletic runs
through just how Newcastle used four different methods across four matches to
secure 10 points.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CHAOS: NEWCASTLE 4-3 WEST HAM (MARCH 30)

The only match in which Newcastle have come from behind to win this season and
yet the game featuring their highest expected goals (xG) at 4.07.

Newcastle's stats vs West Ham

Statvs West Ham
xG
4
Shots
24
Shots on target
9
Touches in opp box
52
Possession
60%
Accurate passes
425
Passing accuracy
82%
Corners
3

Newcastle’s strengths and, at times, their glaring weaknesses were on display
here.

Their 60 per cent share of possession and 425 completed passes delivered 24
efforts on goal but, despite Newcastle’s attacking strength, they were
profligate. Going the other way, their frailties on the counter were exposed.

Rather than rein in his front-foot approach, Howe went even bolder at 3-1 down
and made a series of attacking substitutions in search of goals.

The head coach sought “chaos” as a route back and Newcastle turned the game
around with three goals in the final 13 minutes. However, such a strategy was
not sustainable for a team whose matches have featured the most goals in the
Premier League — 69 for and 52 against.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CONTROL: NEWCASTLE 1-1 EVERTON (APRIL 2)

From chaos to (relative) control.

Howe again asked his side to impose themselves. Alexander Isak’s 15th-minute
goal put Newcastle ahead and, although they had 58 per cent possession and 18
shots, just five were on target. From an xG of 2.44, Newcastle did not manage to
breach Everton’s defences again.

Newcastle's stats vs Everton

Statvs Everton
xG
2.44
Shots
18
Shots on target
6
Touches in opp box
45
Possession
58%
Accurate passes
403
Passing accuracy
81%
Corners
7

The problem was that, while Newcastle were comfortable in possession, they were
not clinical enough in front of goal or penetrative enough with their passing.
Of their 403 accurate passes, 226 were in their own half and just 177 in the
opposition’s.

Regardless, Newcastle should have won and Everton’s late penalty, conceded by
Paul Dummett, came as Howe’s side became fatigued. With a dearth of strong
options on the bench, Howe made only two substitutions, including Dummett, who
has not started a league match this season.


Ashley Young is fouled by Paul Dummett (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


CONTAINMENT: FULHAM 0-1 NEWCASTLE (APRIL 6)

Across 2022-23, when Newcastle boasted the top flight’s joint-meanest defence,
they were renowned for their ability to see through difficult periods. During
the winter, those qualities had disappeared but, following an abysmal opening 20
minutes, those characteristics reappeared.

Newcastle's stats vs Fulham

StatVs Fulham
xG
0.97
Shots
12
Shots on target
5
Touches in opp box
24
Possession
33%
Accurate passes
225
Passing accuracy
76%
Corners
3

Inside the opening half-hour, Newcastle’s xG against was already over one. But
Howe resorted to an on-pitch inquest after 20 minutes and, gradually, Newcastle
found a way into the match.

Despite having just 33 per cent possession and completing only 225 passes — 116
of them inside their own half — Newcastle frustrated Fulham. Almost immediately
after Burn had a goal disallowed, Bruno Guimaraes fired in an 81st-minute
winner.

Howe was unimpressed that his side did not successfully enact his strategy, yet
he praised his players for finding a path to victory.

GO DEEPER

One great day in the life of Yankuba Minteh - Newcastle United’s long-term
right-winger?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


COUNTER-ATTACKS: NEWCASTLE UNITED 4-0 TOTTENHAM (APRIL 13)

Howe had considered reverting to three at the back at Spurs in December but
opted against it, resulting in a humbling 4-1 defeat. This time, he surprised
Ange Postecoglou, with the Spurs manager admitting Newcastle “dictated”
proceedings with their “transition game”.

Despite having just 27.1 per cent of the ball — Newcastle’s lowest figure all
season, their second-lowest ever under Howe and the second-lowest possession
share in Premier League history for a team with a four-goal winning margin — the
home side were dominant.

Newcastle completed only 123 accurate passes, but 64 of them were in the Spurs
half. The ploy was by design, even if Howe wanted Newcastle to retain the ball
better.

Newcastle's stats vs Tottenham

Statvs Tottenham
xG
2.88
Shots
18
Shots on target
5
Touches in opp box
32
Possession
27%
Accurate passes
123
Passing accuracy
65%
Corners
16

Whenever Spurs had the ball deep, Newcastle defended man-to-man across the
field, forcing mistakes and stealing possession high. Anthony Gordon’s goal came
from Cristian Romero’s error and a high turnover.

The plan was also to be direct. Both of Isak’s goals came from Spurs losing the
ball on the edge of Newcastle’s area, then Guimaraes playing a quarterback role
to send his attackers upfield swiftly with long passes. While only Guimaraes,
Gordon and Isak were involved in Newcastle’s opener, just Guimaraes and Isak
touched the ball in the build-up to their third. In all, Newcastle played 16
accurate long balls at a success rate of 38 per cent.

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Newcastle’s pass map below spotlights their approach and how,
counterintuitively, they found dominance from a dearth of possession.

The only pass displayed is between Burn and Harvey Barnes, who combined seven
times. The most any other player passed to another specific player was four,
highlighting the lack of repeated combinations.



Even so, Newcastle were brutally efficient. Their xG was 2.88 — 2.01 generated
from open play — while their xGA was 0.77, despite Spurs having 72.9 per cent of
the ball. With Isak, Gordon and Barnes starting together in the league for the
first time, Howe was able to trust that his front three would cause havoc,
despite a lack of possession.

The 369 touches Newcastle players had against Spurs were the fewest in a league
match under Howe. However, nine per cent of those (32) were in the opposition
box,  the third-highest ratio during Howe’s tenure.

It was a risk-reward approach, one which required bravery from Howe’s players,
and one they performed skilfully.

This set-up was specifically devised for Spurs and is unlikely to be replicated
but the past fortnight has shown that, under Howe, Newcastle can win in multiple
ways and they now have the momentum necessary to secure European qualification.

GO DEEPER

The look of love - Newcastle celebrate their local heroes

(Top photos: Getty Images)




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