New style of play needed at Newcastle?

The departure of Demba Ba has left Newcastle with few options up front. This might be why their preferred recent formation has become the Premier League favourite 4-2-3-1, the formation used by high-fliers Arsenal, Chelsea, and both Manchester clubs. 

The key part of this formation is the three players behind the striker. These three players must be good with the ball and must be able to work together to support the lone striker. For that, you need very talented and technical individuals. Both Manchester clubs have that. City have David Silva, Samir Nasir and Sergio Aguero. Very, very good players. United have Rooney, Valencia and Kagawa. The same thing. Chelsea have Mata, Hazard and Oscar. Arsenal have Cazorla, Podolski and Walcott. These players are of an extremely high calibre, and offer the midfield a fluidity that is very hard to defend against. 

Now, do Newcastle have those kind of players in their squad? Their preferred three this season have been Sylvain Marveaux, Moussa Sissoko and Jonas Gutierrez, unless Hatem Ben Arfa is fit (a rarity in itself). 

There is only one player in the four players mentioned who I would say fits into that kind of mould described earlier. That player is Hatem Ben Arfa. And, like I said, he is rarely in the squad due to his enormous history of injuries. Surely, that would imply that perhaps a formation change is required.

Last season, the English classic 4-4-2 was used frequently; the same season that Newcastle finished 5th in the league. It requires a simplistic style of play, that Newcastle would produce perfectly well.

It also lifts pressure off striker Papiss Demba Cisse. The Senegalese center forward’s form has been somewhat hit and miss this season, but Demba Ba’s prolific form before January overshadowed that a bit. Now, Ba is gone, and Newcastle need Cisse to perform like he did in the 2011/12 season, where he scored 13 goals in 14 appearances. A strike partner would reduce the pressure and perhaps allow him to return to that glorious form he enjoyed last season.

Another key fact about Cisse’s style of play, is his work off the ball. He runs his socks off for most of the game, always closing defenders down, which is an admirable quality, however, it means that he’s not always in the right position when he’s needed to be. A strike partner would allow Cisse to continue to work hard off the ball, and if Newcastle regain possession, they would have one striker there to cover for him. This way he wouldn’t have to change his style of play, and perhaps Newcastle fans could enjoy watching him playing at that level that we all know he is capable of performing at. Because, remember, on his day, he is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.