The lineup West Brom should hope Newcastle do not deploy

Newcastle United and West Brom both have this game circled on their calendars as a must-win game. The last meeting between the two sides came down to the wire, but Dwight Gayle’s late goal secured all three points for the Toon in December.

West Brom have already been handed a lucky break as a result of not having to face Callum Wilson, Miguel Almiron, and Allan Saint-Maximin, but they are still the weaker side on paper. Newcastle United have enough talent in their squad to get the job done at the Hawthorns.

Quite a few distractions hit the Magpies’ camp this week, such as the training ground argument, and the latest court ruling siding with the Premier League in the takeover case, but the players need to brush that aside. Tomorrow’s game is about claiming three precious points for the loyal Toon Army.

The million dollar question is what lineup should Steve Bruce deploy? Opinions will vary on this topic, but the lineup discussed below is one that is more than capable of walking over a dreadful West Brom side led by a manager on Bruce’s level – Sam Allardyce.

Ryan Fraser and Joe Willock can guide Newcastle United to victory against West Brom.

Almiron and Saint-Maximin will be out, but that should not trigger a formation change. Newcastle United need to take the game to West Brom with two holding midfielders in the center and three attacking midfielders ahead of them in the final third.

Before looking higher up the pitch, let’s start at the back. In goal, Martin Dubravka should keep his place between the sticks. He did a stellar job against Wolverhampton, and the team needs his experience in these crucial games.

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The back line should see Matt Ritchie and Javier Manquillo in the wing-back roles. Jamaal Lascelles should keep his place in the center, but Federico Fernandez should play alongside him after recovering from his injury. Fernandez is, hands down, the most reliable defender in the squad.

The duo pulling the strings and disrupting counter-attacks in the middle should be Jonjo Shelvey and Isaac Hayden. If Shelvey is willing to cover a ton of ground as he did last time out, the Magpies should be in good shape.

The attacking trio ahead of them should be composed of Ryan Fraser, Joe Willock, and Jacob Murphy. These players offer plenty of pace going forward, good technical skills on the ball, and respectable field vision. Up top as the lone striker, Bruce will most likely go with Andy Carroll, but his selection should be Dwight Gayle.

Gayle would make the most of his chances with the service he is expected to receive from the wide areas. Carroll could do a decent job, but he is wasteful. That selection will be interesting to keep an eye on.

Recap

Formation: 4-2-3-1

• Dubravka
• Ritchie, Fernandez, Lascelles, Manquillo
• Shelvey, Hayden
• Fraser, Willock, Murphy
• Gayle