3. Newcastle Should Play 4-3-3 (And Ba)
When Newcastle lined up in a fairly attacking looking 4-2-3-1 at the start of the game, Newcastle fans could have been forgiven for believing Alan Pardew had taken the fact that the team had struggled in 4-4-2 in the previous three games of the season, but after a poor first half that saw the team over-run in the middle of the park, it became quickly evident that without the influence of Cheick Tiote to strengthen the defensive line, that formation wouldn't work either. But in the second half, after a blasting from the manager at half time, as confirmed by Steve Harper in his post-match interview, Newcastle shifted to a more fluid 4-3-3 in attack, with Hatem Ben Arfa tracking back when Everton had the ball (sometimes more successfully than others). That change saw a dramatic change in fortunes, with Ben Arfa given more space and time on the ball - and looking far more interested as a result - and Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse linking up better with the midfield to provide a far more potent attacking threat. Though he works better for France in a slightly advanced midfield role, Yohan Cabaye works better for Newcastle in a central three, and the almost immediate pay-off of his change of position was his exceptional, perfectly weighted through-ball to Demba Ba for his first goal. So far, on four occasions this season, Newcastle have looked more comfortable in a fluid 4-3-3, and hopefully Alan Pardew will heed what he has learned in those performances ahead of the Norwich game at St. James' Park on Sunday. And the decision to drop Demba Ba was a cruel one after he scored an excellent goal against Spurs, but with Alan Pardew looking for more balance on the left, and Ba supposedly unhappy to play wider it wasn't a surprising one considering the set-up. In the second half Ba looked hungrier than he has all season, and his performance was rewarded perfectly by two well taken goals, to give an answer to anyone wondering whether he will start next game.