Eddie Howe on potential Newcastle United tactical changes amid injury doubts

Fourth-placed Newcastle United entertain Liverpool, the only team to beat them in the Premier League so far this season, tomorrow, and Howe was asked if he was considering tactical changes for the televised fixture.

Howe has had a settled starting XI – and a settled formation – but tweaks are discussed before every game, according to United’s head coach.

“We’ll always try and make the right tactical decisions based on our opponent and based on ourselves,” said Howe, who could again be without Callum Wilson. “First and foremost, you have to look internally.

"How can we get the best Newcastle? Whether that’s picking certain players, and basing that around the system, (or) whether it’s picking the system – and then picking the players around it. That’s always a decision we have, and we can change that.

"Then, I think, you look at your opponent, and go ‘what do we need to be competitive in this game?’. So it’s something we need long and hard about. Hopefully, we’ll get the right call this weekend.”

Newcastle were beaten by a 98th-minute goal at Anfield in late August.

"Whenever you lose a game that late, there’s an element of anger, because you feel you could have controlled that last minute of the game better than we did,” said Howe.

“It’s a minute that I’ve replayed in my mind many times, and watched many times. You know what’s happened, and you know what’s going to happen, but you’re just trying to find ways to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”