Match Reports

West Brom vs Newcastle Match Report – Most Complete Tactics, Stats and Analysis

West Brom vs Newcastle Match Report

West Brom 1 Newcastle United 0 Wednesday 1 January 3pm

After a hard-fought 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal on Sunday, just three days later Newcastle United squared off against West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns with three points needed to keep them in the hunt for European football – especially with both Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United coming into good form.

More than 2,500 fans travelled to the Midlands for the game against West Brom who have struggled to replicate anywhere near last season’s surprising form (despite a win at Manchester United) and find themselves managerless at a key stage of the season.

FORMATIONS

In a frequent change by manager Alan Pardew this season, Vurnon Anita was dropped to the bench and Shola Ameobi was brought alongside Loic Remy. Remy’s goal scoring record whilst playing alongside Ameobi is a lot higher than without and Pardew clearly wants to get his French front man firing again, especially after he failed to manage a single shot in the Arsenal match.

That meant it was Cheick Tiote and Yohan Cabaye running things in midfield but Newcastle’s formation wasn’t as simple as the 4-4-2 you might expect when the team sheet was released. Moussa Sissoko, rather than play on the wing, played in a more advanced role and Remy frequently drifted out to the left wing, especially early on in the match, with Yoan Gouffran on the opposite side.

Newcastle’s back five remained unchanged with all five of them starting their fourth game in 10 days – a gruelling statistic for any player, never mind workhorses like Mathieu Debuchy who went into the game having earned a Man of the Match award for his performance in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal.

West Brom played in a 4-2-3-1 with their own French triumvirate in attack (Nicolas Anelka, Stephane Sessegnon and Morgan Amalfitano) hoping to break down Newcastle’s defence. Shielding the back four was Claudio Yacob and Youssuf Mulumbu – the latter being a player Pardew has particularly praised in the past.

NEWCASTLE DOMINATE POSSESSION

Almost straight away after kick off the game settled into a predictable pattern of Newcastle dominating possession (Tiote had 31 touches in the opening 20 minutes) but failing to create anything worthwhile. After two to three minutes of passing the ball in front of West Brom someone would attempt an incisive pass but West Brom – who defended well all game – would cut it out and look to break.

Morgan Amalfitano found much joy down Newcastle’s left with Remy not contributing nearly enough defensively (failing to make a single tackle but conceding three fouls) and Davide Santon frequently overwhelmed by the overlapping Billy Jones. Amalfitano played well all game and looked a constant danger when on the ball, Remy’s former teammate at Marseille racked up 79 touches (the most of any attacking player), had two shots, two dribbles, four key passes (more than Newcastle’s squad put together) and even made four tackles.

While Tiote and Cabaye may have kept possession well, Sissoko failed to link the play with the likes of Remy (who drifted inside when Newcastle had the ball) and Ameobi with long balls attempted numerous times – 65 to West Brom’s 51.

DEBUCHY SHUT DOWN

Against Arsenal and in several other games over the festive period, Debuchy has been one of Newcastle’s most dangerous players going forward but West Brom shut him down very well with Chris Brunt given more of a defensive remit than the other forwards for the Baggies. Brunt made four tackles and two interceptions with his average position deeper than Amalfitano.

In addition to specific targeting by the Baggies, Debuchy also looked very tired from the start and his enforced three game absence (owing to perhaps the best bad tackle you will see) could well prove good for the former Lille player in the long run.

Also on his mind may well have been the fluidity of those in front of him and being unsure if they will help cover him defensively. In previous games Debuchy could rely on Sissoko to cover him but Gouffran, who at least lined up ahead of him, did switch with both Sissoko and Remy.

Consequently Debuchy had his quietest afternoon in weeks going forward with no shots, just 33 passes and three crosses (although two of these were accurate). Because Brunt wasn’t as keen to get forward as Amalfitano – West Brom attacked 42% down the right and just 29% down the left – Debuchy didn’t have too much defending to do, making just one tackle and one interception before his sending off.

AMEOBI INEFFECTIVE

The much-maligned Ameobi did little to disprove his doubters at any time during the 76 minutes at the Hawthorns. Brought in to assist Remy and provide a target for attacks to rotate around, the Nigerian-born Geordie instead seemed insistent on giving away soft fouls despite being aware early on referee Lee Mason was clamping down on physicality in aerial duels.

Ameobi gave away four fouls in the first half often when challenging for the ball in the air, meaning West Brom were able to ease pressure and regain possession. In the second half he gave away one foul and also actually managed to make a tackle. He may have won six aerial duels (55%) but too often when the long ball was effective he had no support around him.

Fans chanting for Papiss Cisse (who hasn’t partnered Remy up front for any significant time so far this season) were dismayed when Pardew’s last substitution was used to bring on Massadio Haidara.

ROLL OF THE DICE

At half time Gouffran was replaced with Hatem Ben Arfa with the Geordie faithful chanting for his inclusion throughout the first half as waves of Newcastle attacks were easily dealt with – the only shot on target was a Tiote half volley easily dealt with by Foster.

In the first half Newcastle looked loathe to run directly at West Brom and Pardew hoped the number 10 could find a hole in West Brom’s defence – he was sadly wrong. Ben Arfa managed just 24 touches in the second half and was, both statistically and actually, anonymous, failing to dribble, shoot, tackle or even foul as the entire second half drifted him by despite Pardew using a stoppage in play to ask for more from him.

The only statistics Ben Arfa did manage was 75% pass completion (lower than team average of 82%), drawing one foul and also being dispossessed once. Toon fans love any player capable of magic but more and more are becoming aware of the cost of relying on his unpredictability.

West Brom’s half time change was much more revolutionary. Having been so thoroughly dominated in the possession statistics (64% to 36%) caretaker manager Keith Downing took off right back Billy Jones (who had been thoroughly clattered by his keeper following a through ball) and replaced him with forward Saido Berahino.

Mulumbu covered the space in the right of defence (which Newcastle failed to exploit with Ben Arfa well marked and Santon busy dealing with Amalfitano) and Berahino targeted Williamson’s lack of mobility with several runs in behind (West Brom attempted four through balls all game) which proved successful, if lacking final product.

SUBSTITUTIONS

As previously mentioned Ben Arfa was introduced at half time to very little effect but West Brom’s change gave them much more impact – Berahino may have been dispossessed three times but he at least managed four shots, two on target, and even won two turnovers himself.

After Debuchy’s idiotic sending off Newcastle were also without a right back for 10 minutes with Pardew being forced to change captain Fabricio Collocini for Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa. Yanga-Mbiwa put in a very good 25 minutes, especially with Newcastle’s back to the wall for much of it. He made three tackles, two interceptions and two effective clearances.

With 15 minutes having passed since Debuchy’s sending off and West Brom, although dominating possession for the first time in the match, didn’t look like scoring so Downing took another risk, removing Sessegnon and replacing him with forward Matej Vydra (with West Brom now playing a sort of 3-4-3 with Vydra, Anelka and Berahino all in attack).

It was the frequent runs in behind which did for Newcastle. Despite returning to a back four with Haidara replacing Ameobi (Santon switched to RB) and Newcastle went 4-4-1, a slide rule pass through the defence saw Tim Krul take down Vydra (who was anonymous otherwise) and Berahino convert the spot kick.

With the Baggies a goal to the good, Downing took off Anelka for Zoltan Gera and went 3-5-2, happy to see out the rest of the game with Newcastle failing to carve out any meaningful chances (a Cabaye shot was about as close as the Magpies came to a goal).

STAR PLAYER

In reality no Newcastle player really shined but Yohan Cabaye once again showed why he is such a highly rated player in the Premier League. The midfielder only made one key pass (a reflection on the fact he had to play so deep perhaps) but he still made four tackles, three interceptions and had four shots. Any time a midfielder racks up more than 100 touches (Cabaye managed 105) you know he’s had a busy afternoon.

Like many of the Magpies starting 11 he did look tired, especially towards the end of the game. With the team down to 10 men Cabaye had to do even more defensive work and didn’t get into the box enough to support attacks, instead pinging long balls from deep trying to create something from the air.

CONCLUSION

It was a fairly dour game of football until a relatively exciting last 10 minutes when West Brom got their tails up. For the second game in a row Newcastle were poor going forward and lacked creativity with Ben Arfa’s introduction at half time doing little to spark the game into life.

Back to back defeats for the Magpies doesn’t see them slip any further down the table, with a nice cushion between themselves and Southampton, but the push for European football of any kind looks like a distant dream now with a tough run of fixtures ahead.

On Wednesday afternoon Pardew paid the price of not rotating his squad with several players looking tired even in the opening 30 minutes – with fatigue perhaps playing a part in Debuchy’s desperate lunge and Coloccini’s injury.

Ameobi’s goal drought continues with fans chanting for Cisse starting halfway through the second half to no avail. Now the team will focus on the FA Cup with a tough game against Cardiff City (who could well be managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer).

Newcastle: Krul, Debuchy, Coloccini (Mapou 45), Williamson, Santon, Sissoko, Tiote, Cabaye, Gouffran (Ben Arfa 46), Shola (Haidara 76), Remy

Unused Subs: Elliot, Anita, Steven Taylor, Cisse

Ref: Lee Mason

Crowd: 26,430 (2,600 Away)

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