Is Gordon At CF No Longer An Experiment?

One swallow doesn't make a summer, but a flock does.

And, after Eddie Howe once again played Anthony Gordon through the middle to devastating effect against Qarabag... is this no longer an experiment?

Eddie's ST selection and format for Qarabag echoed the one used to defeat Spurs and Aston Villa and it was the same one that dominated Liverpool in the first half at Anfield.

You can only beat what is front of you, but it has to be said that it is very doubtful whether Eddie's predominant 4-3-3 set up, with Wissa or Woltemade as ST, would have trampled all over the Horsemen and secured a 6-1 win.

And, that is exactly why Eddie decided to stick with Gordon as the man through the middle with Woltemade again dropping back to a cross between a 10 and central midfielder.

Eddie has no plan B? Think again

After the Brentford defeat Eddie Howe was under fan and media pressure.

And it showed in his sombre and downbeat post match comments and demeanour.

Eddie had three away games coming up, with Newcastle's dismal away form not giving fans much confidence that better results would follow.

My take at the time was that he could not carry his press conference demeanour into the dressing room. When the going gets tough, you have to tough it out.

That's exactly what Eddie did.

A players meeting was called. Frank and open discussions were the agenda. Not to finger point, but to galvanise the squad and re-energise them for the games to come.

Not only that, but Eddie stuck his head above the parapet and, instead of playing safe, made the decision to change the formation and lead with Gordon at ST.

That was a brave decision.

Many fans, me included, have questioned Gordon's effectiveness in that position and if defeats had followed Eddie would have been hung out to dry.

Another big and brave decision was playing our record £69M striker, Woltemade, in a deep lying position and leaving out a natural midfield player to accommodate him.

Another decision that carried risk and could have backfired badly.

But it didn't.

Three away wins on the bounce, eleven goals scored, PL points on the board, into the 6th round of the FA Cup and nailed on last 16 in the Champions League.

Will Eddie stick with the same set up against Manchester City?

Don't bet against it.

Cometh the hour... cometh the man.

When the going gets tough... the tough get going.

Eddie Howe has shown he is a tough man.

Well done sir.

Very, very, well done.

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