Nottingham Forest handed Newcastle a humiliating defeat in their previous encounter, with Chris Wood scoring a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory. Additionally, Dan Burn, who played as a left-back, endured a torrid time, performing poorly throughout the match before being substituted after 55 minutes. In order to prevent a recurrence of such a scenario, Eddie Howe is under great pressure to include Tino Livramento in the starting lineup for the upcoming weekend fixture.
Starting Livramento on Saturday is an imperative decision for Howe at Newcastle.
Despite the fans’ overall support for Howe as the manager, there is a growing impatience regarding his continued faith in Burn, as evident from the chants of Tino’s name during the match against Luton. Burn’s poor performance, including conceding a penalty for the third goal and losing possession in midfield for Luton’s fourth, further intensified this sentiment. As a result, the £32m signing, Livramento, was eventually brought on in the second half.
Burn encountered a similar challenge in the previous match against Forest, where he struggled against Anthony Elanga, who provided two assists. Consequently, Burn was substituted shortly after. Considering that Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White are expected to take up wide positions for the Premier League team once more, Howe cannot afford to repeat the same error by starting Burn again. Instead, he must turn to Livramento for the upcoming weekend fixture.
Livramento represents Newcastle’s long-term future.
Given Livramento’s demonstrated capabilities and skills as a defender, it is inevitable that he will eventually secure a starting position for Newcastle, whether it be on the left or right side of the pitch. From an external perspective, it appears logical to integrate the 21-year-old into the team as soon as possible, especially considering his consistent ability to hold his own against top-class opponents.
Livramento’s performances in the Champions League against PSG and Borussia Dortmund only strengthen the case for his inclusion in the starting eleven. Fans have witnessed his ability to rise to the challenge against formidable opposition, leaving little doubt as to why he shouldn’t already be a regular starter.
While Burn’s height can be advantageous during set-pieces, it begs the question of whether sacrificing Livramento’s pace and attacking threat is truly worth having a taller player defending and attacking corners and free-kicks.
