For a long time, it was pretty easy to guess who would be starting for Newcastle United each week. Under manager Eddie Howe, the team had a core group of players who were clearly the best choices for their positions.
Changes to the lineup were usually only made when someone was injured. This was mostly because the club didn’t have a very deep squad. They had a strong first eleven, but the players behind them weren’t always seen as ready to step in without a drop in quality.
That situation appears to be changing. Over the last few games, Eddie Howe has been rotating his team much more. He has made seven changes to the starting lineup from one game to the next, showing that he now has more players he feels he can trust.
This is a sign of a club growing in strength. Having a deeper squad is essential for competing in multiple tournaments and dealing with the long, demanding Premier League season.
A perfect example of this new approach was the recent Carabao Cup match against Bradford City. While Newcastle were expected to win, it was a chance for Howe to give some playing time to individuals who haven’t been regular starters.
He fielded a team that mixed experienced players with younger talents and so-called ‘fringe’ players. For these players, such games are not just about winning; they are an audition. It’s their opportunity to show the manager that they deserve more minutes in more important matches.
Two players who certainly made the most of their chance were Will Osula and Lewis Miley. Osula, a young striker, scored two goals, which is the best possible way for an attacker to impress.
Lewis Miley, a midfielder from the academy, also put in a solid and promising performance. They both went to bed that night knowing they had done their chances of future selection a world of good.
However, for every player who seizes their opportunity, there is often another who lets it slip away. Unfortunately for defender Emil Krafth, his performance against Bradford fell into the second category.
When you look at the statistics from his 61 minutes on the pitch, it tells a story of a player who struggled to make any positive impact on the game. The numbers are quite startling for a defender.
He didn’t make a single tackle, interception, or blocked shot. He didn’t win any of the three ground duels he was involved in. Perhaps most worryingly, he made an error that directly led to a shot from the opposition, and he lost possession of the ball nine times.
Now, it is only fair to point out that Bradford did not attack very much, especially down Krafth’s side of the field. This means he simply didn’t have many defensive actions to perform.
But that itself is part of the problem. In a game where his team had most of the ball, a modern full-back is expected to contribute to the attack.
They need to provide width, support the wingers, and deliver crosses into the box. There is no evidence that Krafth was able to do this effectively either.
This performance likely does little to change his position in the squad. He remains a backup option behind the established right-backs, Tino Livramento and Kieran Trippier.
Of course, this was just one game, and Emil Krafth has proven in the past that he can be a reliable defender when called upon. He has experience and has helped the team in difficult moments before.
But the point of these cup matches is to push for more, to give the manager a headache when he picks his next team. Krafth’s display against lower-league opposition probably didn’t give Eddie Howe much to think about.
For a player in his situation, this is a missed opportunity. With the schedule getting busier, there will be more chances to play. But after a quiet and statistically poor performance, it seems unlikely that Krafth has moved himself up the pecking order.
For now, he will probably continue to be a squad player, used when others are injured or desperately need a rest. The challenge for him is to work hard in training and be ready to put in a much more convincing display the next time his name is on the team sheet.
For Newcastle, having players pushing for places is a good problem to have, but it requires every individual to stand up and be counted when their moment arrives.
