How Newcastle United's defenders are doing their bit - not just with their goals
After drawing 1-1 at home to Wolves, United had the second-worst goalscoring record in the top-flight with expected goals at an all-time low.
Yet a little tactical tweak from Steve Bruce has made the Magpies an exciting team to watch going forward with chances aplenty. The challenge now, of course, is to maintain it.
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Hide AdBut the performances from the previous two games have been extremely encouraging and that all starts from defence.
In noticeably situations against the Cherries, Federico Fernandez and Paul Dummett - who replaced Jamaal Lascelles - were positioned as full-backs with De Andre Yedlin and Jetro Willems effectively wingers.
Both Willems and Yedlin were the driving force behind United’s attack - the latter even getting on the scoresheet. It is a move that has taken the heat of Allan Saint-Maximum and Miguel Almiron.
Because the pressure has eased on the pair to the Magpies’ single attacking outlet, both players played with a lot of more freedom.
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Hide AdSaint-Maximin arguably put in his best performance since his £16.5million move from Nice in the summer. Almiron worked tirelessly as ever.
They both missed chances yesterday but instead of hearing the groans we would have heard a few weeks back, it was indeed gestures of encouragement.
And with seven of United’s 11 Premier League goals scored by defenders, it just goes to show that strength-in-depth in the backline works in many ways than one.