The Sven Botman, Dan Burn and Matt Targett conundrum for Eddie Howe against Manchester City
Should Targett return from a hamstring strain, the Magpies' boss will have a selection dilemma on his hands
Every penny of the £32million Newcastle United stumped up for Sven Botman looked excellent value against Brighton. Eyebrows were raised when Eddie Howe decided against starting the Dutchman for the Premier League opener against Nottingham Forest.
Loyalty means a lot to the Toon boss. After all, you do not spend 11 years at one club in the modern game - albeit with a brief hiatus in between - without being faithful.
Throughout his career, Howe has always shown commitment to those around him. The bulk of his backroom staff at Bournemouth have joined him on Tyneside and, after his appointment in November, he confirmed a move to Celtic broke down due to not being able to take his coaching setup with him.
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Newcastle fans witnessed this loyalty first hand when he partnered Fabian Schar and Dan Burn - the duo who forged a steely defensive partnership from February onwards - on the opening day. Leaving Botman on the sidelines raised eyebrows considering the effort it took by Toon chiefs to get him here.
However, his performance against Brighton now poses a conundrum for Howe ahead of the Manchester City clash. Drafted in as a late replacement for Matt Targett, Botman played flawlessly and Newcastle fans are now raving about their new defender.
Four duels won, four clearances, seven recoveries, 39 passes and a clean sheet on his full Premier League debut did his chances of starting next weekend no harm. Dan Burn, too, continued his faultless form in a black-and-white shirt - despite deputising at left-back.
Two clean sheets in their opening two games gives Newcastle a solid platform to build upon. For the first time since Rafa Benitez instilled a pragmatic first-team blueprint, the Magpies appear regimented and cohesive in defence.
Howe revealed post-match that Targett was ruled out after suffering “subtle” damage to his hamstring. The 26-year-old will give his manager an interesting dilemma should he be declared fit to play on Sunday.
Who does he drop? Does he change anyone? Could he revert to a back five against the champions? These are questions that will weigh on Howe’s mind throughout the week as he gears up to take on Pep Guardiola’s star-studded superstars.
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