- Newcastle United must shift up gear against Crystal Palace
- Magpies boosted by return of Lewis Miley from injury
- Eddie Howe must axe ‘flimsy’ man in midfield
Newcastle United travel to the capital to take on Crystal Palace on Sunday, a significant game for both teams. Eddie Howe has made it clear that he wants to keep his European aspirations alive and received backing after unusual comments from CEO David Hopkinson.
While for the home side, they will at least want to have an enjoyable end to Oliver Glasner’s time at the club after he led them to their first major trophy last May.
Newcastle come into the match off the back of a derby defeat, losing 2-1 at home to Sunderland prior to the break. The Magpies will be looking for an immediate impact, but could a change in personnel be necessary?
Return of Newcastle United prodigy
The Magpies have been lacking in several players in recent weeks, with injuries and setbacks keeping key stars on the sidelines.
One man who was set to make his return was their captain, Bruno Guimaraes, but the trip to Selhurst Park will come too soon for the Brazil international.
The Toon Army will be pleased to see Lewis Miley make his comeback, though, after being out since their away clash at Paris Saint-Germain back in January.
In their meeting with the Black Cats, there was criticism levelled at the midfield, as they believed the away side were dominant in that area of the pitch.
The 19-year-old has featured the most prominently for the first team so far in his career with 19 appearances so far this season, where he has come away with four goal contributions.
Miley adds a great deal of composure on the ball and uses his technical brilliance to pick out a pass, something the St James’ Park outfit have lacked in recent outings.
Another complaint has been the lack of intensity and ruthlessness to their game. With him being a local lad, you could expect him to bring that more relentless approach, making him a perfect candidate to start against Crystal Palace.
Eddie Howe should axe Nick Woltemade
Unfortunately, it could be time to see Nick Woltemade drop out of the midfield after an unconvincing spell in the centre of the park.
It’s unclear what Howe’s plan is with the German, and whether he dropped down the pitch to navigate the current injury climate they were trying to overcome. The big talisman has looked flimsy in that role.
With Miley’s return, it would make sense for Woltemade to move back to striker. However, it seems as if Anthony Gordon will once again be trusted to use his electric pace up top and pull defenders apart – he displayed that with a goal against Sunderland.
Woltemade has faced disapproval from the fan base and pundits about his role, where he shot back to explain how his objectives in a match have changed with the position.
The fans still love the 24-year-old, though, and he spent time with Germany during the international break to prove his class up top, but will the English manager trust him in the nine, or will he simply drop to the bench?
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