Waiting game for big strike partnership

NEWCASTLE

- By LEE RYDER

United boss Eddie Howe says he is waiting for the appropriate moment to play Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa together.The duo have been like passing ships in the night despite the Magpies splashing out £124m on the pair in the summer. Wissa was replaced by Woltemade in the second half against Crystal Palace yesterday rather than the two operating together as United stuck with their tried and tested 4-3-3 formation.

It paid off with Howe pinpointing Harvey Barnes' importance after the ex-Leicester man made a difference in his cameo role, having a hand in one goal and creating other chances.

Any hopes of seeing Woltemade and Wissa strike up a partnership have been placed on hold for another week. Howe feels that a major change in system would be required to get them both on at the same time, as the Newcastle boss stuck with a 4-3-3 formation for the 17th time this season from 20 topflight games.

Howe said: “It’s got to be right for the team. I'd never rule it out as a possibility.

“But it would have to be a severe change behind that, if we were to do that from the start. It is not something that is in my mind at the moment, but certainly if the game is running, if it is something I feel I can look at, we will do some work towards that if I need to.”

Expanding on the continuation of 4-3-3, Howe said: “I like our shape, I like how we play, I like that it gets us in various positions, but we have to deliver it to the very highest level to work, as with any system.”

It took 71 minutes for the Palace defence to crack after Newcastle's initial game plan failed to find a way through. But when it did Bruno Guimaraes nodded home to bring some relief to the Geordie crowd on a freezing day.