The Newcastle defender has often played at left-back this season.
It has been a strange season for Chancel Mbemba, with the Newcastle United defender missing several games through injury, while he has often been deployed at left-back when he has featured.
Mbemba started Newcastle’s defeat to Chelsea at the weekend in a back three and received a considerable amount of criticism for his performance as he made some avoidable errors.
The 23-year-old will undoubtedly be disappointed with his display but the feeling persists that he would perform significantly better if he was deployed as a centre-back in a four-man defence.
Mbemba has played several games at left-back this season and, while he has shown some encouraging signs at times, he is far more convincing at the heart of the defence, where he can win aerial duels with regularity and also initiate attacks from the back.
Newcastle clearly have major issues defensively at present – they have conceded 12 goals in their last four Premier League games – with the absence of injured captain Jamaal Lascelles certainly not helping their cause.
Playing Mbemba as a centre-back in a back four would certainly help to improve matters. Florian Lejeune has lacked consistency since returning from injury, while Ciaran Clark has made some important interventions but needs some assistance, with Mbemba capable of providing it, at least until Lascelles returns.
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