Will Newcastle United’s slide continue vs. Leeds United?
Newcastle United are winless in their last ten matches across all competitions. Over the weekend, they were comfortably outplayed by Aston Villa in a 2-0 defeat. Tomorrow, they look to turn things around against Leeds United, who blew them out by a 5-2 margin last month.
Player to Watch
Newcastle United: Allan Saint-Maximin
On Saturday, we finally got to see the return of the flash French winger. It was a brief cameo, but he did provide a boost in activity and energy for the attack during his stint off the bench. While he’s unlikely to start tomorrow, Saint-Maximin could play a crucial role for the Magpies.
If the match is close when he’s able to come off the bench, he could take advantage the openness of a Leeds United match and do damage pushing the ball forward and trying to create when he cuts in from the left.
Leeds United: Jack Harrison
In the previous matchup between the clubs, Jack Harrison picked up a goal and an assist. Newcastle United were susceptible on the right side of their defense and that’s where Harrison does his work. If Newcastle are going to win, they will need to slow down the Manchester City loanee.
NUFC Availability Update
Based on his pre-match press conference, it doesn’t appear that Steve Bruce expects to have Ciaran Clark, Federico Fernandez, or Paul Dummett tomorrow. He listed Javier Manquillo as 50/50. He also added that he thinks it’s too soon for a start for Saint-Maximin.
Next. Newcastle fans must be realistic about a potential Rafa return. dark
Newcastle United will win if…
They are more effective down the middle of the pitch. In the back, center-backs Fabian Schar and Jamaal Lascelles didn’t play well vs. Villa and that proved costly. With the reinforcements above, they will be expected to perform better in the starting central defense.
Going forward, the club needs to funnel the ball to the forwards more with cutting passes through the middle or with the wing players darting inside. They relied too much on crossing vs. Aston Villa and their lack of accuracy was brutal. Also, the striker (or strikers) need to stay centrally. Andy Carroll should never be floating out towards the wing in the attack. If the club plays better right now the middle, they could potentially upset Leeds United.