It was a frustrating night for Newcastle United against Everton, but Eddie Howe was delighted with how one of his players performed.
Eddie Howe was forced to name a very different team to the one that beat West Ham United at the weekend, with injury and suspension limiting his options.
He made four changes to his Newcastle United starting XI, while the likes of Dan Burn had to change position due to the injury issues. The 31-year-old moved from left-back to left centre-back, allowing Lewis Hall to play on the left of defence in what was his first start since November.
Despite the changes, Newcastle were able to create enough chances, and should have been out of sight before Everton were given a late penalty. Paul Dummett fouled Ashley Young in the box, allowing Dominic Calvert-Lewin to snatch a point for the Toffees.
It was a really poor end to the game for the Magpies, whose lack of squad depth caught up to them.
Newcastle United defender seriously impresses Eddie Howe
But one player who impressed Howe throughout was Burn.
The £13million man captained the side in the absence of Jamaal Lascelles and Kieran Trippier, and produced a fantastic display at the heart of defence.
His performance certainly pleased Howe, who was full of praise for Burn when he spoke to NUFC TV after the game.
“Gigantic performance from Dan,” he said.
“He needed to stand up aerially to their bombardment they deliver and I thought he did that, but also on the ground he covered spaces very well. I thought he was really brave in a couple of situations.
“I thought it was an outstanding performance.”
Dan Burn was exceptional against Everton after position change
Howe’s assessment of Burn is spot on. He really was excellent against Everton, particularly in the air. Sean Dyche’s side played a lot of long balls, and Burn used his height to deal with most of them. It is just a shame that Dummett was unable to do the same late in the second half…
It was a return to the heart of defence for Burn, having played the majority of his football at left-back since the beginning of last season.
He had been struggling at left-back this campaign, with his lack of pace resulting in teams targeting him.
But he looked much more comfortable and commanding in the middle, and it should fill Howe with confidence heading into the rest of the season. That is where Burn will be playing, as Jamaal Lascelles and Sven Botman are both ruled out with ACL injuries.
Burn will also be captain for the next few weeks, as Kieran Trippier is still not ready to return from a calf problem.
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