Bournemouth have not been impressive this season. Eddie Howe’shase have been on an awful run and it reflects on their position in the league table, as they have collected mere seven points from ten matches so far. The Cherries are currently second to bottom in the Premier League points table and Howe has a very tough task to cut out in the upcoming fixtures.
Bournemouth are scheduled to travel to Tyneside to face Newcastle United next. The Magpies’ three matches unbeaten came to a halt as they lost 1-0 to Burnley in the last match and Rafa Benitez would be hoping to be back to winning ways against the Cherries this weekend.
The Cherries finished in the ninth place last season but their current form makes them very vulnerable and a team like Newcastle would love to cash in. The Toon have been pretty solid on their home soil so far as they have picked up ten points out of a possible fifteen and would like to take all three points from this tie.
Predicted 3-4-1-2 Bournemouth Starting Lineup Against Newcastle United
Defence
Needless to say, Asmir Begovic hasn’t been at his best so far. The former Chelsea keeper needs to put a strong performance against the Magpies this weekend.
Newcastle aren’t a side who would score a lot of goals but if they get the room, they will punish. Howe used a three-man defence against a strong Chelsea side and he is likely to stick to it. Simon Francis, Steve Cook and Nathan Ake are likely to be at the heart of the defence.
Midfield
Adam Smith will be deployed as a wingback and will have the responsibility of the left side. Lewis Cook will have the duty to dictate the tempo of the play from the base of the midfield. He will work as an extra layer of security in front of the backline.
Andrew Surman will provide adequate assistance to Cook in the midfield. Charlie Daniels has the pace and energy to create problems and he will be on the left flank.
Attack
The Cherries are known to be an attacking side but they are yet to display their quality this season. Goals have been hard to come by this season as they have scored only six so far. Junior Stanislas has shown flashes of brilliance and will need to show some consistency, starting this game.
To put pressure on Newcastle, Howe will unleash a two-man striking pair up front. Benik Afobe will partner Jermain Defoe. Here is how they might line up:
