The best Newcastle United lineup for the 2022-23 campaign
By Durim Halimi
When key players are fully fit, Newcastle United have a dangerous lineup that can cause problems for every Premier League outfit. The Magpies have even shown flashes of brilliance without their big name players against elite opponents.
Unfortunately for Newcastle United and the Toon Army, the injuries have been piling up one after another in such an early phase of the season. Notable players who have been sidelined for weeks include Jonjo Shelvey (preseason), Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin, and Bruno Guimaraes.
Eddie Howe has done an amazing job steering this squad out of trouble with only one loss in seven games despite missing so much creativity in midfield and up top.
As a result of various injuries and a congested schedule to account for a winter World Cup tournament, Howe has deployed multiple lineups. The key question is when the team is fit, what is the best lineup for Newcastle United?
The 4-3-3 formation is non-negotiable. It has worked wonders and must stay.
Newcastle United have earned the respect of several opponents since scrapping the 5-3-2 shape enforced by Steve Bruce and implementing the 4-4-3 in this new, exciting era.
The emphasis on attack creates a style of play that is easy on the eyes, places constant pressure on the opposition while providing more time for the defense to breathe during periods of possession.
The Best Newcastle United Lineup
That being said, what is the best lineup for this system? For starters, no pun intended, England international Nick Pope is the best and most reliable option between the sticks.
The back line ahead of Pope should consist of Kieran Trippier and Matt Targett as wing-backs, and a duo of Fabian Schar and Sven Botman in central roles. Why Botman over Dan Burn?
The competiton between these two has sparked quite the debate on Tyneside. Here is my take. Botman is more comfortable on the ball, is a superior passer, and his overall awareness in tight spaces is better.
Opinions will also differ here, but the best midfield trio for Newcastle United consists of Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes, and Jonjo Shelvey. Playing Shelvey enables him to sit deep, pull the strings and orchestrate attacks while Guimaraes gets more involved in the final third as he did in the second half of last season.
The front three should, quite obviously, consist of Allan Saint-Maximin, Callum Wilson, and big money signing (€70M) Alexander Isak.
Some of you will not like this proposal because it sees Isak shift over to the right, but think of this as an interchangeable setup.
Next. England failure directly impacts Newcastle United. dark
Isak would have the freedom to come inside as needed based on the possession, and it is something he has done in the past while playing in Spain as well.
This trio will force defenders to leave gaps in the final third as they disburse their attention to each threat, and the chances created would increase noticeably. Best trio outside the top six? Maybe even better than some in the top six, in my opinion.