Eddie Howe loves players who are versatile, which is why he is so happy with one of his Newcastle United stars right now.
The Magpies’ squad is stretched beyond belief due to injury and suspension at the moment, forcing Eddie Howe to get every last inch out of the players he has available.
The likes of Lewis Hall and Emil Krafth have been drafted in after barely featuring all season, while Alexander Isak remains the only striker that Newcastle United have available.
At centre-back, Newcastle are very short. Sven Botman was the first to fall, suffering an ACL injury against Manchester City in the FA Cup that ruled him out for six to nine months. He was replaced by Jamaal Lascelles, who suffered the same injury the following game.
That has forced Howe to to back to a centre-back pairing that served him so well during his first season at St James’ Park.
Eddie Howe asks Newcastle defender to change position
From now until the end of the season, Fabian Schar will be paired with Dan Burn at centre-back.
The latter has been a left-back for the entire season and basically all of the previous campaign, but is now being asked to slot in at the heart of defence yet again.
That is where Burn played when he first arrived in January 2022 for £13million, and it looks like he has never been away.
Eddie Howe comments on Dan Burn’s recent performances
The 31-year-old is playing very well at centre-back, and Howe has spoke about Burn’s form during his pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Tottenham Hotspur.
“He’s been excellent,” he said.
“I think he’s looked better physically. He broke his back – it was a really serious injury. He came back quite quickly from that injury due to the position we were in as a squad. Another player that’s really done everything he can for the team.
“Moving back centrally has looked comfortable for him. It’s obviously an easier position to play physically than the roles on the outside of the pitch. His leadership qualities have been first class. He’s played really well with Fabian. They’ve built up a very good relationship again quickly which is good to see.”
Newcastle need Burn to keep thriving at centre-back
It is great to see Burn suddenly playing so well. He had been receiving a lot of criticism for his performances at left-back, with his lack of pace being exploited time and time again. He was noticeably out of form, but now looks very comfortable again in a black and white shirt.
Burn has been commanding since moving back into the middle, while he is also leading the team and taking the captain’s armband in the absence of Jamaal Lascelles and Kieran Trippier.
Long may Burn’s form continue, as Newcastle do not have many other centre-back options available right now.
Behind Burn in the pecking order is Paul Dummett, who has not started a Premier League game since January 2022 – before Burn had even joined the club.
After Dummett, Howe has two youth players available to him. Alex Murphy has been a consistent figure in the first-team squad as of late, and made his senior Newcastle debut back in November. We also saw 18-year-old Cathal Heffernan training with the first-team ahead of this weekend’s game against Tottenham, and he is yet to make his debut for the club.
That is why it is so good to see Burn playing so well, and long may it continue.
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