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Newcastle United will face Norwich City Tuesday at Carrow Road in what will be their first match in the post-Yohan Cabaye era. What will Alan Pardew's midfield look like without the Dreamboat? Here's a guess:
Krul | Debuchy, Saylor, Williamson, Santon | Tiote, Anita | Sissoko, Ben Arfa, Gouffran | Remy
On the back line, Mathieu Debuchy returns from suspension and the guess is that Steven Taylor is preferred over Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa in the middle. Massadio Haidara has been coming off the bench and there's no reason yet to suspect that Davide Santon's starting spot is in danger. The partnership between Cheik Tiote and Vurnon Anita has been effective, so Cabaye's departure shouldn't affect that part of midfield. Whether they're surrounded by wingers or asked to sit behind a row of 3 will be something to watch for. In my scenario, Hatem Ben Arfa benefits most directly. I wonder if Pardew will try him at the #10 like in the old days. I, like many, don't prefer Moussa Sissoko on the wing, but expecting that to change is a fool's errand at this point. Maybe we'll be pleasantly surprised?
Come back to CHN for a game thread when lineups are announced one hour prior to game time. What would your ideal lineup be?D
