da supremo： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
da realbet： DeAndre Yedlin was a surprise name on the scoresheet for Newcastle on Saturday, and that has led to praise from Paul Robinson.
What did he say?
Newcastle’s wing-backs are becoming key to the way Steve Bruce has set-up, and Yedlin showed against Bournemouth that he could be of use in the opposition final third, even though he had only scored twice before for the club in 100 appearances.
Robinson wasn’t just impressed by his goal, though, and believes the pace he has makes him very effective down Newcastle’s right flank, and an option which could be used more.
Speaking to Football Insider, he said: “He came from nowhere [for the goal]. He gives Newcastle another attacking option when he is allowed to be one, when his reins are off.
“He showed great athletic ability with his goal, he has good defensive capabilities as well.
“His engine to get up and down that right-hand side is phenomenal.”
Jetro Willems has proved similar effective down Newcastle’s left, also scoring this season, and he could have added to that on Saturday with four shots in total.
If Bruce can continue to get both contributing in both boxes then Newcastle will have the ideal balance from their wide players, and Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron should benefit from more space and more chances too.
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More freedom
Bruce has begun his career at Newcastle in a rather conservative fashion, but given he lost the top two scorers from a team which managed just 42 league goals, that is somewhat understandable.
His set-up has proved effective and a return of 15 points from the games he has played is quite respectable, but with signs of improvement and confidence being shown, it may be time for him to grant the likes of Yedlin and Willems more freedom.
It could have multiple positive effects, allowing them to pose a danger in the box as well as a threat from out wide, meaning Saint-Maximin and Almiron can play closer to Joelinton – thus increasing his chances of scoring.
The Magpies boss may be concerned that giving them more license to roam forward will weaken the team defensively, but both wingbacks have shown sensibility in when to sit back and when to attack, as evidenced by the fact Yedlin and Willems made three and five tackles respectively on Saturday.
The international break allows time for Bruce to experiment with the slight changes and assess how they could advanatge his side, but with Yedlin currently proving to be of great use, as Robinson suggests, then he may be left to flourish as he is.