10 Problems Newcastle Need To Fix To Avoid Relegation

10. Stop Hitting All Set Pieces To Mike Williamson

Easily the most frustrating thing to watch for any Newcastle fan is the continued, baffling decision to use the same approach to long set-pieces that positions Mike Williamson at the back post and has him play target man in the hope of someone scoring from the second phase. As all Newcastle fans will attest, this has a similar success rate to putting Rob Elliot on the back post. It never works. The problem is not just that every team in the league knows exactly what to expect, but also that Williamson lacks the two things that are required to play the target role: direction and power. He might be a solid, unspectacular defender, but his heading ability has long been up for question. The ball hits his head, rather than him powering through his neck - which is why headed clearances rarely make it anywhere near the half way line - so quite why he was chosen for this set-piece play remains utterly confusing.