Supporters of Newcastle's style of play late last season have been worried this summer. Exhibit A: the club's continued pursuit of Andy Carroll, who is especially ill-suited to the lightning-quick 4-3-3 that knocked opponents on their heels. Exhibit B: Alan Pardew's quote last month that "in 90% of the games next year," Demba Ba will play as a central forward.
While Pardew's rigid 4-4-2, with a pair of strikers in front of two "banks of four," was not entirely hopeless - the first half against Chelsea on May 2 being a notable bright spot - it was clearly an inferior way to play. Too often, the ball bypassed Yohan Cabaye in the midfield, forcing Newcastle to hang onto games by the skin of its teeth. A return to those basic tactics would have been a disaster. But against Den Haag on Saturday, Pardew seemed to have a new plan up his sleeve, one that could accommodate Ba - or Carroll - without throwing the rest of the team out of balance.
Friendly matches are notoriously difficult to evaluate. Doubly so without stars like Cabaye and Hatem Ben Arfa involved. However, when Pardew lined Newcastle up in a "diamond" 4-4-2, or 4-3-1-2, it seemed likely he was thinking of the start of the season, just two weeks away. But the two missing French internationals will need to adapt to new roles to make the formation work.
On Saturday, Gabriel Obertan played on the right of the midfield. Instead of having his heels on the sideline, as was the case when he started last year, he played closer to the center of the field. That allowed Ryan Taylor to make overlapping runs past Obertan, hoping to use his crossing ability from right back. (Incidentally, that role seems tailor-made for Mathieu Debuchy, as if Pardew is preparing the team for his arrival from Lille.)
Cabaye would be a slightly awkward fit in Obertan's role, though not totally mismatched. His defensive work was already taking him toward the right sideline last year, so he spent much of the season playing in a similar part of the field. The off-center position gives him a good angle for his own passing and crossing - and Cabaye led Newcastle last year in passes completed, accurate crosses, and chances created.
That leaves Ben Arfa to slot in where Haris Vuckic started against Den Haag, behind Ba and Cissé in a realigned front three. He looked a little uncomfortable in the center of the field last season, so moving him back there is a risk. However, that was with just Ba in front of him, and the aforementioned static midfield behind. On Saturday, even without much end product, the midfield demonstrated the ability to keep possession and switch roles on the fly. That approach suits Ben Arfa much better than what we saw last fall.
The best part of last season's 4-3-3 was the ability of the front three to shift around as the situation dictated. That would be retained in the 4-3-1-2. It also pushes Jonás Gutiérrez off the wing, making the most of his strengths and masking his weaknesses, and prompts Davide Santon to use his attacking instincts at left back. And if Newcastle is determined to bring Carroll into the fold, the new formation allows for the crossing game that suits him best. The club's pursuit of Vurnon Anita also falls into place if these are the tactics Pardew is planning.
Time will tell whether this new look proves effective in the season to come. At a glance, though, it seems to preserve the best from last year, while keeping current players in roles that suit them, and providing obvious entries for potential newcomers.