Once Eddie Howe can field his first-choice Newcastle United lineup, the potential for excitement at St James’ Park is enormous. The head coach has faced an extraordinary amount of bad luck, much of it beyond his control.
The 2025 summer transfer window was chaotic, with the club acting slowly to secure his key targets, and the majority of the new signings missing pre-season entirely.
Alexander Isak, another crucial player, also missed the build-up, creating a ripple effect on squad cohesion. All of this meant that Howe’s carefully planned system was hampered from the start, with obstacles both internal and external making it extremely difficult to implement his vision on the pitch.
The start of the 2025/26 season only compounded Howe’s challenges. Injuries and suspensions struck key players, further destabilizing the team. It wasn’t just the quantity of absences, but the quality of the players missing pivotal figures whose absence had a tangible impact on the team’s performance.
Yet, there is optimism on the horizon as several of these injured players are now returning to full fitness. Patience has been required, but when Howe finally has a fully fit squad, Newcastle’s potential becomes clear.
The ideal formation Howe might deploy resembles a 4-2-3-1, though it could be interpreted as a 4-2-2-1-1 or even a 4-4-1-1 depending on how the attacking players position themselves.
In goal, either Nick Pope or Aaron Ramsdale could feature. The back four would likely include Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall as full-backs, combining youthful energy with attacking support, while Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman form the central defensive pairing, offering strength and composure.
In midfield, Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali would orchestrate play, pulling the strings and linking defence with attack, providing both creativity and defensive stability.
Ahead of them, the wide positions could be occupied by Anthony Elanga and Anthony Gordon, offering pace, flair, and width to stretch opposition defences.
Nick Woltemade, operating just behind the striker, would drop deep to collect the ball and initiate attacking moves, while Yoane Wissa would spearhead the attack, offering proven Premier League goal-scoring ability that Newcastle have sorely missed.
Wissa’s injury has been particularly cruel for Howe. After leaving Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, Newcastle were suddenly without a ready-made striker, and Wissa’s knee injury prevented him from making his debut at a critical time.
On paper, Wissa could slot seamlessly into Howe’s team, adapting to various tactical setups, and providing a direct goal threat that complements Woltemade’s creative link-up play.
Despite Woltemade’s inexperience and youth, he has performed admirably under pressure, showing glimpses of his potential even while carrying the responsibility of leading the line. With Wissa available, the combination of these two attacking players could unlock Newcastle’s full offensive potential.
The full-backs, Hall and Livramento, are vital to this setup. Their ability to combine with Elanga and Gordon provides width and attacking options while maintaining defensive solidity.
Elanga and Gordon, while still settling into the Premier League, will flourish when surrounded by a midfield that consistently dominates games. The presence of reliable squad players such as Fabian Schär, Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn, Joe Willock, Joelinton, and Miguel Almirón ensures that rotation can be managed without significantly weakening the team, maintaining balance and competitiveness across competitions.
Recent matches may have tested fans’ patience, but as injuries subside and fitness improves, Newcastle’s performances are likely to transform dramatically.
Howe’s patience, planning, and tactical acumen will finally have the platform to flourish, allowing the Magpies to play at their highest potential. When the fully fit first-choice team takes the field, combining youth, experience, creativity, and goal-scoring prowess, Newcastle United could become one of the most exciting sides in the Premier League.
Fans can anticipate a team capable of blending tactical discipline with dynamic attacking football, capable of challenging at the top of the table and making St James’ Park a fortress once more.
The return of key players and full tactical cohesion will mark a turning point in Newcastle’s season. When Howe fields the lineup that includes Wissa, Woltemade, Elanga, Gordon, Bruno, Tonali, Livramento, Hall, Thiaw, Botman, and Pope or Ramsdale, the Magpies will not just compete they will impose themselves on the league, demonstrating the vision and potential that Howe has been forced to wait for.
The patience of fans and management will finally be rewarded, as Newcastle begins to show the attacking verve, defensive solidity, and balance that has long been promised but delayed by misfortune and circumstance.
