Newcastle United have lost both of their opening two games of the new Premier League season.
According to a report from The Telegraph, Steve Bruce is considering abandoning the 3-5-2 system that Newcastle have used in the opening two games of the new season, and may switch to a flat back four for this weekend’s trip to Tottenham.
While the Magpies put in a spirited performance against Arsenal on the opening day, they were exposed on Saturday as newly-promoted Norwich City stormed to a 3-1 win at Carrow Road.
The Canaries had no problem breaking down the 3-5-2 system. Meanwhile, marquee summer signing Joelinton looked completely isolated and Miguel Almiron appeared to really struggle to make any impact on the game.
Unsurprisingly therefore, Bruce is apparently considering a substantial change ahead of Saturday’s clash with Tottenham, with The Telegraph reporting that the current system is being reconsidered and the Magpies may switch to a back four.
It may be a relief to some that Newcastle appear set to ditch the system that they have used for the first two games. The pressure is already starting to build on Bruce’s men to open their account for the season after two defeats on the spin.
Spurs will go into this weekend as overwhelming favourites and the Toon Army would be forgiven for expecting their side to remain on zero points after three games.
But they will, at least, be expecting a significant response after the defeat to Norwich. They can also take encouragement from the way that Aston Villa came within 17 minutes of a massive win at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the opening day.
Whatever the result, the fans will want to see a reaction and a performance that leaves them feeling a lot more confident about the rest of the campaign. With many of the supporters already losing faith, it would probably be fair to suggest Bruce needs a response.
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