OPINION
Newcastle United’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton last time out means the team’s winless Premier League run continues, and Rafael Benitez must be bold against Southampton in order to right the ship.
That means finally ditching Mohamed Diame. The Senegal international, on a reported £45,000-per-week at the club [Source: Spotrac], has been allowed to continue his woeful form for far too long and it’s time he was axed.
Additionally, Benitez would be wise to recall Salomon Rondon. The Chronicle reported recently that the summer signing is back in training after a thigh injury, and Benitez must throw the Venezuelan in at the deep end against the Saints.
It goes without saying that Martin Dubravka should continue in between the sticks. The Slovakian has been solid so far this season and certainly doesn’t deserve to be dropped for such a crucial game.
The back four is a pretty routine operation, also. DeAndre Yedlin and Paul Dummett have made the full back spots their own, while Federico Fernandez and Jamaal Lascelles have formed a decent partnership in difficult circumstances for the Magpies this season.
In midfield, three of the four who started against Brighton should continue against Mark Hughes’s side. Matt Ritchie has been his usual industrious self of late, and is always trying to make something happen – likewise Jonjo Shelvey.
Kenedy goes in and out of form – more often out of it this season – but he keeps his place on the left due to there being no credible alternative for Benitez at the moment.
As mentioned above, Diame is the man to miss out. The veteran has been woeful in central midfield this term, and it’s surely worth giving summer signing Ki Sung-yueng another go in the middle of the park.
Up front, Rondon must return. The Venezuela international has shown in the past that he can be a nightmare for Premier League defences, and Southampton certainly don’t have the stingiest unit in the top flight. He has to partner Yoshinori Muto, with the floundering Ayoze Perez missing out.
