Back in cup action tonight, I had a look at what Newcastle United team we could put out against Manchester United at Old Trafford, with the best chance to progress into the Quarter Finals and STILL keep enough back for Arsenal on Saturday.
Followed then of course by the nasty looking trip to Dortmund coming up fast on Tuesday night. This little squad of ours is beginning to be rather stretched.
Be it injury, gambling transgressions or just plain old wear and tear, this squad simply can’t keep going full tilt with the same starting line up for weeks on end without a drop off in standard of performance. Eddie Howe and his backroom team will know this.
Howe doesn’t like to mess with the back four (Five including Nick Pope in goal) and that is why we have a good defensive record.
It’s only been since Sven Botman picked up his injury that the manager was forced into change. However, Botman’s replacement, forgotten man Jamaal Lascelles, has been excellent since slotting back into the side a few weeks ago.
I feel though that if ever there is a chance to give some a breather, tonight is the time, probably to the consternation of some fans.
Kieran Trippier has been great this season but against Wolves he looked every day of those 33 years of age and MUST be rested. It’s not fair or physically practical to expect top draw performances week in week out when you’re running on empty.
I also think the similarly excellent Fabian Schar could do with sitting one out.
The midfield has been decimated by injury and now with Sandro Tonali added to the “unable to play” list we are pretty much forced to go with the same players every match which is far from ideal.
Up front we’re walking a tightrope. With Alexander Isak out for a while, the strain is on Callum Wilson and I don’t like the sound of that one bit. The logical substitution would be Anthony Gordon to play up front but I’d go for Joelinton.
Lost the room with that? Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t work for Steve Bruce with Joelinton up front and it was foolish of him to persist with it, but there are no other options than to take a massive risk on the fitness of Callum Wilson or deploy Gordon.
I’ve had conversations with fans that say we must prioritise the League Cup over the Premier League and some (myself included) that would hold the league campaign in higher priority. Nobody is right and nobody is wrong. Premier League form can be rectified through games and time, with cup games though, if you don’t turn up for one game you’re out. I understand that argument but still, if a game needs the squad rotated, it’s tonight.
We’ve gone to Old Trafford with full strength sides and still lost and their stock has fallen considerably in recent years, so I appreciate we could do them down there, but the draw for the cup has been rather unkind. Home to Manchester City, away to Manchester United. What’s next if we beat them? Away at the Emirates or Anfield?
The likelihood is we won’t beat them all.
I don’t like saying we’re due a “favourable” draw but… we’re due a “favourable” draw and the chance to rest a couple of weary bodies, in the absence of that though, tonight is the time for me.
So this is my suggested Newcastle United team to take on Man U:
In the meantime, I’ll be hoping our patched up squad can fight it out on all fronts in league, cup and European battles successfully.
However, there will be a tipping point…
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