Newcastle: 7 Problems Pardew Still Needs To Fix Before QPR

7. Possession

The West Brom game was a massive step in the right direction, but for the majority of the winning streak, Newcastle have surrendered the ball for way too long. So far the tactics have meant that allowing the other team to play, and attempting to get them to over-commit has worked perfectly, and Pardew deserves credit for his rope-a-dope model, but it can't work forever. When Newcastle play teams who are less wasteful and less prone to mistakes - like Chelsea, for instance - not having the ball will become a much bigger problem and the side will either get hurt, or will play out 0-0 every game. Despite having a lot of strong passers (led by Jack Colback), Newcastle simply don't keep the ball. That's not so much of a problem when the chief tactic is breaking at speed and creating a chance, but there needs to be a plan B, and clawing back some possession is a good idea.