Newcastle United: Eddie Howe's selection dilemma in attack

Assuming the Newcastle United boss sticks with the formation he has fielded throughout the season so far, he will have six players to consider for three attacking positions.

What are the factors that will determine who gets the nod to start at the Vitality Stadium? And how might Newcastle’s attacking line-up shape up for the remainder of the campaign?

CALLUM WILSON

Newcastle’s number nine has been Howe’s go-to centre-forward from the moment he walked through the door at St James’ Park, and the head coach’s faith has not wavered despite the 30-year-old’s patchy form since his return from the World Cup finals in Qatar.

Wilson broke an 11-game scoring duck for club and country when he slid a third-minute finish past Lukasz Fabianski at the weekend, but he failed to convert two good opportunities in the second half and still does not look at his sharpest.

Wilson has not really been the same player since suffering a combination of injury and illness towards the end of last year, yet he remains Newcastle’s most clinical finisher and Howe is adamant he is not far off his peak.

“I’m really pleased for Callum that he scored,” said the Magpies boss at the weekend. “It wasn’t just scoring, it was the manner of it – one-against-one and the pace in behind. It was a really good finish on his left side. A hat-trick of good chances is great news for Callum. He’s in the right places and he showed his pace in behind their backline.”

ALEXANDER ISAK

It is safe to say that Isak’s Newcastle career has not really gone to plan since he completed a club-record £63m move from Real Sociedad in the summer.

A succession of niggling injuries have limited the Swedish striker to just three league starts, and even when he came off the bench to help Newcastle see out their Carabao Cup semi-final success over Southampton, he suffered a concussion that ruled him out of the West Ham game.

His record when he has been on the pitch is impressive – three goals from three starts and two substitute appearances in the Premier League – and Howe will surely be keen to get him into the starting line-up on a more regular basis.

The question is how that can be achieved. Unless the formation changes, which admittedly is something that has not been completely ruled out, it is hard to see Howe dropping Wilson, so Isak might have to get used to operating in a wide-attacking position, although he would also face considerable competition for that role.

MIGUEL ALMIRON

Miguel Almiron in action against Crystal Palace

Almiron’s purple patch in the autumn was one of the highlights of Newcastle’s season so far, with the Paraguayan scoring eight goals in nine league games between the start of October and end of December.

At that stage, he was completely undroppable, but he has been unable to sustain his scoring spree – his last nine appearances in all competitions have not resulted in a goal – leading to questions about the wisdom of keeping him in the team when he is failing to really threaten in the opposition's 18-yard box.

Almiron’s game is not just about goals, and his boundless energy and relentless running are key components of the high-pressing game that has served Newcastle so well this season. The South American’s harrying and closing down are major factors in the Magpies’ superb defensive record, given he often leads his side's defensive press, putting opposition defenders under considerable pressure as they look to play the ball out.

At some stage, though, he will have to start delivering again when it comes to goals and assists, otherwise his place in the side will come under even more scrutiny given the alternative options Howe is wrestling with in the final third of the field.

ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN

Allan Saint-Maximin made his first league start since August last weekend

For much of the last two or three years, Saint-Maximin has been the source of Newcastle’s X-factor. The French winger could be inconsistent, but his ability to change the course of a game in a second meant he was all-but-assured of a place in the team.

Not anymore. An early-season injury cost Saint-Maximin his place in Howe’s preferred starting line-up, and prior to last weekend, when he made his first league start since late August, he had been unable to reclaim it.

His performance against West Ham was rusty, with a succession of passes going astray and his dribbling lacking its usual penetration, and it will be interesting to see whether Howe sticks with him at Bournemouth. If he doesn’t, there will be inevitable questions over Saint-Maximin’s long-term future given last month’s links with AC Milan.

“It’s (second half of season) going to be huge for him (Saint-Maximin) personally, and huge for us that we get him in the best possible place to play,” admitted Howe. “Physically, I think he’s in a good place now.”

ANTHONY GORDON

Having paid £40m to sign Gordon from Everton last month, it is safe to assume that Howe does not envisage the wide-attacker spending too much time on the bench.

Gordon made his Newcastle debut as a second-half substitute last weekend, and displayed some nice touches in his 21-minute cameo, most notably the slide-rule pass that sent Wilson scampering in on goal.

The 21-year-old looks most comfortable playing in a wide-attacking role on the left, and he could get the nod to start ahead of Saint-Maximin at Bournemouth. He will not be in the team at Wembley, however, as he is cup-tied in the Carabao Cup.

“I don’t think there’s necessarily a limit (on what he can do straightaway), but I think he will benefit so much from training with us,” said Howe at the weekend. “(Last) week, the training he has had has been more individual based than training with the team, and that makes it very difficult to build relationships within the team. He will have benefited from his little cameo, which was really positive. And now he will train fully with the team as we prepare for Bournemouth.”

JOELINTON

Joelinton remains an option in attack (Image: PA)

Joelinton is part of Newcastle’s attacking arsenal, although as last weekend proved, his best position is surely now as part of the Magpies’ midfield three rather than in the forward line.

The Brazilian has rapidly developed into an excellent box-to-box midfielder, impressing in both the attacking and defensive sides of his game, but Howe had moved him back up front prior to last weekend and may consider doing so again once Bruno Guimaraes returns from suspension.

Joelinton’s goalscoring return has not been especially impressive this season – he boasts two from 19 league games – and while he might initially have been signed as a centre-forward, the notion of him returning to his former role as a central striker has been well and truly taken off the table.

Nevertheless, like Almiron, his work rate and defensive discipline make him a valuable attacking asset if Newcastle need to keep things tight, and he will remain an option for a position in the front three as the importance of the Magpies’ matches increases in the latter stages of the season.