One of the major problems to have made Newcastle United’s campaign in the Championship far more difficult than it should have been at times was their lack of creative outlets outside of Jonjo Shelvey.
Indeed, when the England international was either suspended, injured or marked out of the picture last term, the Magpies seemed to struggle along at one pace.
Heading into the Premier League, it remains somewhat of a concern. Only Mikel Merino has been brought in as a creative force, though it must be said that Jacob Murphy does offer more of a threat on the wings than the options last season.
So, with Tottenham Hotspur set to visit St. James’ Park this weekend, who should start in the crucial role as No.10, helping feed the front line?
Rafa Benitez has largely deployed a 4-2-3-1 system since arriving on Tyneside, with Mo Diame and Ayoze Perez alternating in being deployed just behind the central striker. However, after the arrival of Merino, there’s the option of pushing Shelvey further up the field and pairing the Spaniard with Isaac Hayden further back in the double pivot.
Siem De Jong’s return to the black and white cause also provides another option. While the Dutchman has been blighted by injuries since joining in the summer of 2014, he’s enjoyed a productive pre-season and played some nice passes into Gayle at times.
Matt Ritchie has also dropped into central positions at times over the course of the pre-season schedule, so the Scottish international may be in with a shout.
With that in mind, who gets your vote to take the role ahead of Spurs’ visit?
