Newcastle: 6 Signs Pardew Actually HAS Changed Philosophy

5. Shorter Passes Out Of Defence

Obviously the Tiote example shows why it's bad to pass it REALLY short out of defence, but for most of the start of the season, and indeed the second half of last season, Newcastle tried to accommodate the loss of Yohan Cabaye by playing long balls out of defence in order to create something directly. Mike Williamson more often than not looks to hit the striker with his long balls - something Coloccini was doing for a while - and the result was simply to make the striker look more isolated. Now though, the centre-halves (minus Williamson, who has been absent) are hitting a similar number of longer balls, but the focus of them has changed from the striker to Moussa Sissoko at the front of the midfield, or out to the wings. Look at the different in the long ball heat-maps from the Villa and West Brom games (red lines are incomplete passes, green completed and yellow key). Here's Villa - with a concentration of balls going into and around the box...

And here's West Brom, with more focus on deeper areas, where Newcastle can actually win the ball...

It's as simple as not kicking it as long, and putting the ball into more useful areas, lessening the chance of interceptions (in theory, but Tim Krul's kicking needs some work) and allowing the wide men - including the full-backs - to run beyond Sissoko, and join the striker higher up the pitch.