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Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has said that Rafael Benitez’s Newcastle side were boring, so how would Rafa’s Magpies have lined up this weekend?
“Every time I went up there over two years, I was bored. I was bored,” Neville said recently, which is surely down to the 5-2-3 system that Benitez usually deployed.
The Spaniard liked to have a target man up front with a creative player who can also add goals playing just off of him, while the pace of Miguel Almiron offered width and a threat in behind.
So, after defeat to Arsenal last time out, how would Rafa have set his ‘boring’ side up at Norwich on Saturday? We’ve taken a guess…
Martin Dubravka, Jamaal Lascelles and Fabian Schar are pretty much nailed on in defence, while DeAndre Yedlin’s fitness struggles means Benitez would have to opt for his compatriot Manquillo at right-wing-back.
Paul Dummett was used more times as a centre-back than left-back last season, and with Florian Lejeune still injured we assume the Wales international would keep his place. Matt Ritchie’s work rate and crossing ability makes him a good fit for the wing-back role that he served under the Spaniard.
The midfield pretty much picks itself, but up front is where things get interesting. Joelinton is a straight swap for Rondon, but Miguel Almiron could be tailor-made for the role Ayoze Perez played last year.
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The Paraguyan has bagged 20 goals and 18 assists in 53 career showings as a number ten, and his mixture of goal threat, playmaking ability, excellent dribbling and tireless running means he is now the closest thing the club have to another Perez.
Finally, that leaves Allan Saint-Maximin to provide the pace. With 4.2 successful dribbles per game last term, who better to test the full-back and give a threat in behind?
So, Newcastle fans, would you like to see Steve Bruce opt for this sort of line-up on Saturday? Or is Neville right about Rafa’s system? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…
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