Newcastle United: 6 Key Questions Ahead of Everton Away

3. Will Pardew Persist With Playing The Two Dembas Up Top? No matter how much Demba Ba complains about it, when he is positioned wider on the left of a front three of a 4-3-3, Newcastle play better than when Alan Pardew starts out with a more conventional 4-4-2. The Senegalese pair play too similarly when they play together as a duo, and tend to cancel each other out, with both either dropping too deep to be effective, or a gap appearing between midfield and attack that is too wide for fluid attacking play. Even though they are away, Newcastle should play 4-3-3 against Everton, utilising Ben Arfa as a free-roaming front-man and playing Cabaye a little closer to the front three and taking away the defensive duties that tend to stifle the more creative side of his game. And if Ba complains, he should be reminded that his excellent goal against Spurs came from the position he supposedly prefers not to play.

4. Who Will Play Right-Back?

Over the summer it looked like Newcastle would be signing Lille right-back Mathieu Debuchy, after one of the longest and most frustrating transfer sagas of the summer, but ultimately fans would be left disappointed with Danny Simpson still first choice and adequate though not ideal cover from Ryan Taylor and James Perch. Unfortunately, thanks to the sort of injury jinx that tends to hit clubs who fail to sign their first choices, all three conspired to be injured last game, and Newcastle now face the prospect of playing Everton with the two lead candidates for the position still injured. Pardew now faces the dilemma of playing either James Perch, who now looks more comfortable in the centre for my money or new signing Vurnon Anita, who was more known for playing left-back or defensive midfield at Ajax but who stood in well for Simpson against Villa. Anita is probably the more impressive in attack, and put in a couple of good balls against Villa from the position, aided by his speed and comfort on the ball, but Perch is very strong defensively. My money is on Anita.