Eddie Howe has a perfect opportunity to do for Newcastle what Ruben Amorim can’t at Man United
Tino Livramento’s most recent injury may have allowed Eddie Howe to perfect a tactical system he has been keen to deploy.
The young wing-back was stretchered off injured against Arsenal in a 2-1 loss at the Emirates on Sunday, 28 September.
Livramento is set for an extended period on the sidelines, and although the extent of the injury is not yet known, there are fears that the 22-year-old could have suffered the second ACL injury of his career, having spent a year out during his time at Southampton.
The loss of the England international is especially concerning, as Kieran Trippier is the only other recognised right-back in the Magpies’ squad.
But rather than turning to the 35-year-old to replace Livramento, Howe may have a tactical trick up his sleeve.
Newcastle to implement 3-4-2-1 system
The 3-4-2-1 tactical setup has been a hot topic in the Premier League this season, thanks to Ruben Amorim’s insistence on using the system at Man United.
The Red Devils have been carved through time and time again this campaign, with the majority of United‘s squad utterly unsuited to the system.
Howe has employed the system several times in the last few months, finishing last term in the same shape, thanks to an injury suffered by Joelinton, and the Brazil international’s fitness issues have cropped up again this season.
The English manager used a back-three against Leeds this term, but, as demonstrated by Football Insider‘s new statistics partner, Opta, the Magpies ended up being a convoluted mess in the centre of the park.
Newcastle and Leeds drew 0-0 on the day, and although it’s difficult to see, given how stacked Newcastle‘s players ended up being, Livramento (number 21) vacated a wide position on the left, leaving his side with little width.
Meanwhile, Jacob Murphy (number 23) found himself especially isolated as William Osula (number 18) dropped deep into the midfield, and Trippier (number 2) offered little support going forward.
Whilst the system was a clunky mess against Leeds, Howe is on the right track. With a few tweaks in terms of personnel, not only could the setup be a solution to their issue at right-back, but it may also allow two of the Newcastle manager’s favoured players a chance to wreak havoc.
Newcastle struggling to unlock Anthony Elanga
Newcastle signed Anthony Elanga in the summer window, and whilst the Sweden international was one of the Premier League’s best providers last season, his start to life at St. James’ Park has been underwhelming.
The Swedish winger was brought in to provide for Alexander Isak, but his international compatriot kicked up a fuss during the summer and ended up at Liverpool for a British record fee.
Instead, Elanga has been aiming his crosses at the sometimes lethal, but often wasteful, William Osula.
Additionally, the former United man is keeping Murphy out of the team, leaving the Premier League’s third-best assister from last term playing a bit-part role.
The graphic below highlights the struggles of both players this season, with neither coming close to matching their form from the 2024-25 season.
However, Howe does not believe that the criticism that is being levied against his Swedish winger is justified.
The manager defended Elanga in a press conference on 27 September, saying: “Statistically, that is right [that he is yet to score or assist]. But you look at the chances he has created, and sometimes it’s not on him that players he has served haven’t scored.
“I always think that is a tough one. If Nick [Woltemade] scores Jacob Murphy’s cross with the header, he gets the assist. Vice versa, if someone misses an opportunity, that assist doesn’t happen.
“He has done his job several times, but it hasn’t ended up in a goal. I have been really pleased with his general contribution and he’s looked a threat. You see what strengths he will bring.
“He has that raw pace and power that is so difficult to defend against. But I think he can get better and improve and we can help him do that as we continue to work with him.”
Jacob Murphy and Anthony Elanga should play together rather than compete for the same position
The solution seems like a simple one. Howe is missing Livramento, has been edging towards deploying a 3-4-2-1, and has two right-sided players who, on their day, can be genuinely world-class, but are struggling currently.
The next question would be, who plays where? But that problem answers itself. Murphy was deployed as a right wing-back at the back-end of last season, and his crossing abilities lend themselves to him being used as a wider player.
That would then give Elanga the chance to move into a wide 10 position, similar to Bryan Mbeumo‘s at United, linking up with Anthony Gordon behind Nick Woltemade.
The German striker, although domineering in height, absolutely loves working his way through crowded spaces with neat dribbling and ping-pong passing, and having two attacking midfielders behind him would only serve to benefit the 23-year-old.
Defensively, the setup does pose some issues. Murphy is a winger by trade, but with Lewis Hall offering defensive stability on the left-hand side, Malick Thiaw would be played as the right centre-back, sliding across to cover the gaps left by the 30-year-old.
By using the athletic German defender on the right side of a back three, Newcastle will be able to defend as a back-four, meaning that the transition to a new system won’t be as stark as it appears.
Additionally, the set up could then give Hall the ability to slide into the midfield, giving Sandro Tonali the chance to drop into deeper areas to pick up the ball and move the Magpies up the pitch using his deep repertoire of passing.
The heat map above shows Murphy’s average positions in the 2-1 loss against Barcelona on 18 September.
The winger came on with half an hour to go, providing the assist for Newcastle’s only goal of that game.
This heat map shows that Murphy enjoys staying wide and hugging the touchline, which makes sense, given he is a right-footed player used on the right.
Whilst using Trippier in a 4-2-3-1 system would be the safe choice, the Magpies are a stronger outfit than Union Saint-Gilloise.
Howe is clearly keen to have a 3-4-2-1 shape as a back-up option, should his first system falter, or should injuries make the 4-2-3-1 no longer viable.
And if the new system proves to be the key to unlocking Newcastle’s attacking potential, the game against USG could prove pivotal as a turning point in the North Eastern side’s slow start to the 2025-26 season.