Eddie Howe's double transfer plan now makes more sense as Newcastle issue highlighted
It is beginning to make even more sense as to why Eddie Howe was so keen to bring both Marc Guehi and James Trafford to Newcastle United over the summer as the Magpies struggle performance-wise this season.
Plenty has been made of this recent Newcastle not being the front foot, pressing, aggressive, 'in your face' team of old - but it's also clear Howe's desire to play out from the back isn't playing out as desired either. The Toon boss has worked magic with his current crop of stars but some may never be able to fully transform their game to become accomplished at this particular skillset.
Take Dan Burn and Nick Pope. Both defensive assets who never really look comfortable with the ball at their feet - and this was the case again as Newcastle lost to Fulham 3-1 on Saturday afternoon.
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Now, it must be said the duo more than make up for their lack of passing ability and both merit their place in Howe's side. Burn is a leader, a presence at set pieces and a rock solid Premier League centre-back. Meanwhile, Pope may not be an Ederson-esque performer with the ball at his feet but you'd be hard pushed to find a better shot stopper in the top flight.
But there's an argument to say Howe needs players who are confident building from the back as he plots how to take this Newcastle team to the next level. After all, the ex-Bournemouth boss has been clear he can see the reasons for the new-found popularity when it comes to starting attacks from the goalkeeper or the defenders in front of him.
"I see the benefits of it and we will do that," Howe told Gary Neville when quizzed over the 'risk v reward' aspect of playing out from the back. "I've got no issue with necessarily that principle - being really expansive and building with your goalkeeper and that style.
"It's just when we're doing it, we're doing it not with the view to having 10 passes in our penalty box. [We're doing it] With the view of progressing quickly up the pitch. So that then comes to the risk over reward. My personal view is that if we can get up the pitch in one or two passes, let's do that, rather than having five or six."
In recent months we have seen Howe change Newcastle's shape from a 4-3-3 to a 3-2-5 when his side have the ball in their own half. Tino Livramento, Kieran Trippier or whoever else may be playing at right-back will often invert into midfield to leave the Magpies with a flat back three of the two central defenders and the left-back when they have possession and are under little pressure.
Fulham made that tactic particularly difficult at Craven Cottage, pressing high up the pitch. It also didn't help Newcastle were chasing the game from the fifth minute and found themselves two behind 17 minutes later.
A few examples stood out of Newcastle struggling to play out from the back during the clash. At one stage Lloyd Kelly receives the ball on the left of the defence, under pressure, and visibly flails his arms out in frustration at no team-mate offering him any assistance. Admittedly Newcastle had just been defending a Fulham attack but the lack of support or movement was telling.
Later in the clash Livramento, Schar and Burn repeatedly passed the ball sideways to one another, struggling to make passes into a midfield that endured its own issues on the afternoon - and is facing its own problems more generally. Burn, at one stage, also had acres of space to carry the ball into, over the halfway line, but instead dropped it short to Hall, closing that space in the process. Schar, on the other hand, has shown to be a fantastic asset in these types of situation.
In terms of the statistics around Newcastle's unconvincing ability to spark attacks from deep, there are a few to back up where the aforementioned stars may be going wrong.
Firstly, Nick Pope has attempted just 110 passes so far this season, with only West Ham United (95) ranking lower. To add, the average length of a pass from the former Burnley stopper is 36.8 yards, which is the fourth longest average in the top flight so far this term.
53% of Pope's goal-kicks have registered as being longer than 40 yards, with only Ipswich, Everton and Arsenal goalkeepers enjoying a bigger average in the opening games of the season. Again, for balance, it should be stressed Pope has saved almost 80% of his shots faced in the Premier League so far this campaign.
Then you have the defenders, starting with Burn, who has attempted 267 passes in the first five outings. Schar has only attempted 152 but did miss two and a half top flight clashes through suspension.
Burn's success rate with short (91%) and medium (97%) passes reads well. However, when it comes to carrying the ball at his feet, the 32-year-old has only successfully taken the ball 58 yards further up the pitch than Schar, despite playing 243 minutes more than his defensive co-star.
These are statistics Howe and his staff will no doubt be aware of - and it isn't the end of the world given Pope and Burn, as defensive options, are well worth their place in Newcastle's current side. But it is now easy to see why the north east outfit pushed for both Trafford and Guehi in the summer.
In terms of the former, eyebrows were raised at the repeated speculation over a move for Burnley youngster Trafford, who suffered an underwhelming debut campaign at Turf Moor after such initial promise.
After a stellar U21 Euros showing, in which Trafford didn't concede a single goal as he and Anthony Gordon helped England lift the trophy, his stock was sky high as he became the third-most expensive English goalkeeper ever.
As well as being a solid shot stopper, Trafford has the ability and confidence to play out from the back after honing his craft in Manchester City's academy and on loan down the footballing pyramid. “Bolton play a way that suits me, playing out from the back and playing high. It’s been the perfect match really," he said during a loan spell at the north west club.
Then there is Guehi, who Newcastle infamously fought to prise away from Crystal Palace for a club-record fee. Another who is a hugely talented defender known for his passing range and ability.
So far this season, Guehi has a success rate of over 90% when it comes passes under 30 yards, while he has carried the ball towards the opposition's goal for a total of 454 yards - over 100 more than Burn in total.
Given a limitation of his game is his aerial presence - something Burn boasts as a positive - it's likely had Guehi arrived at Newcastle he would be fighting with Schar for a place on the right-side of the central partnership, rather than replacing Burn.
That said, Guehi can also play on the left - as he does for Palace and England - and shifting the ball onto his stronger right foot to pass would have given Newcastle a strong presence when switching the ball long and to the right of the pitch, while Schar targets diagonal switches from the right of the defence to the left of the attack.
Going forward, it remains to be seen whether Newcastle will return to the table for either Trafford or Guehi come January - but it's clear to see why Howe thought the duo would be welcomed additions to what he is trying to build at St James' Park over the summer.