Everyone now knows what to expect from Steve Bruce week after week. He’s building a Newcastle United team who play 0-0 with a despicable tactical approach that fans shouldn’t be able to endure.
I wrote this article below about the tactic Steve Bruce plays and how he can / could turn it all around.
In this article, I’ll talk about the formation approach and an in-depth description of how players can play certain roles in the starting XI.
So here it is, “How Steve Bruce Should Play the Soccer Game – From Dinosaur Tactic to All-Inclusive, Well-Tailored Soccer”.
As the season progresses, we have become more and more of a laughingstock in the Newcastle United squad for the selection and tactics of the Newcastle United team, resulting in the ‘style’ of football and performance we have become so used to.
It doesn’t help if our manager comes out and calls the team “absolute shit” and “hopeless” …
As we all know, these comments are absurd, considering that Steve Bruce is the man in charge and he should blame himself week after week.
So what can Bruce tactically do to revitalize the team and restore morale between players with a positive-minded style of football?
This is the Newcastle United team selection approach that fits our most effective starting XI:
Courtesy of The Mag’s NUFC Team Selector, I developed this 4-2-3-1 approach above that Bruce should take when the gloves are really off.
Lewis and Manquillo as give you an energetic slice as they both have the pace to improve and track the field of play back. Additionally, the two offer good, but not great, crossing skills in case they find a likely scenario where they can put a ball in the box for our striker.
With Fernandez and Schar in the middle, the two can offer roles specific to their skills while being compatible with the team. Fernandez can offer you a classic center-back role, with a duty to dive deep and step up quickly to intercept through balls trying to break the team’s defensive line. Schar, on the other hand, should be instructed as a defender playing the ball who can hold the ball and look for a long pass on the field to the attackers to create an opportunity to attack. This role is a modern part of the defenders who, like Gerard Pique, Thiago Silva and Virgil Van Dijk, do a great job.
The two key midfielder options with Hayden and Matty Longstaff give you a balance between defense and attack. Hayden can provide you with a defensive approach that can hold his hold over the defense in an attack scenario. Then you have Matty who can give you a “mezzala” role (roughly translated from Italian as “half winger”, central midfielder who can also drift far and cross, etc.) as he drifts far and in half spaces can operate to essentially become a center / half winger. With this option Matty could strike a balance between his responsibility between traditional midfielder work and the propensity to attack in the attacking third.
Two wingers whose job it is to get past defenders quickly are ideal for Saint-Maximin and Fraser. These two wingers create a lot of pace on those crosses and anyone would be stupid not to take advantage of that. This pair of players are tech-savvy about their roles, so this area of the pitch is a great strength for the team. Saint-Maximin would be the winger to cut in and get a shot while Fraser can swing those deadly balls into the box. On top of that, Ritchie would also be a great addition to Fraser’s role as he has good crossbreeding skills.
Finally, we have our attacking midfielder / center forward and striker.
Almiron, who has good technical skills, can create chances for himself and others in the last third before the opposing defense cuts his time and space for it. Miggy can split the striker with balls and quick passes, as he is very adept at breaking the opposing line.
Callum Wilson can be the one who can reach the end of Almiron by balls and get a shot on goal. Callum leads the line of scrimmage and tries to take dangerous attack positions for the team. The main job for him is to be in the center of the attack and not only score the goals but also set them up for other teammates who can overlap him if he holds the ball up. His secondary role above should be to chase flocked balls and clearances from the defensive line.
Well there you have it. My take on how I think the Newcastle United team should build.
You want a change, Steve? There you have it.
