Jacob Ramsey has to be a number 10 in Matthias Jaissle’s Newcastle United system

Yesterday saw the return of Jacob Ramsey to the Newcastle United starting XI after a prolonged period out with injury. It’s safe to say his return didn’t quite go to plan as he was hooked at half-time following two goals that he probably could have done more to prevent.

Whilst I like Ramsey and am pleased to have him back, I do think last night’s game backed up a point fans have been making for a little while now about where he actually fits into the current side.

If Ramsey is to succeed in Matthias Jaissle’s system on Tyneside, his best position is by far the number 10 and I’m not really sure he can operate well enough in that midfield two to become a regular fixture.

Everton return confirmed doubts

Ramsey was by no means our worst player yesterday and, as usual, was tidy on the ball and tried to get the creative juices flowing.

The issue was that we saw his frailties in defensive areas rear their ugly head, something which Newcastle had already been struggling with in central areas during his absence.

For both the first and second goal Ramsey switched off, with his man running off his shoulder both times, the latter of which directly resulting in the Magpies conceding.

While I’m not trying to suggest that Ramsey was the sole culprit in those goals, they were pretty damning examples of not only why he may not be best suited to that pivot, but also why the Magpies have been struggling centrally all season.

That lack of defensive acumen to protect central areas during opposition attacks has plagued Jaissle’s side for large portions of the season so far. What was particularly concerning about Ramsey was that he was, in theory, in the right place on both of those occasions, he simply didn’t see through his job of sticking with his man.

Which is exactly why I think it’s clear he should be considered a number 10 in this system.

Why Ramsey is better suited to the 10

Even though Jaissle plays with a number 10, Newcastle don’t really have one on the books.

Joe Willock and Yoane Wissa have been playing there for the most part, with the former doing the job last night and actually putting in a decent performance all things considered.

But I wouldn’t say either has made that spot undeniably their own. Willock has looked competent at points, but I’m not sure he quite has the technical ability to perform it well enough on a regular basis.

That is where Ramsey comes in.

If we are going to look for a bit more structure in midfield, Ramsey will offer that. As I mentioned before, he does have the right idea when it comes to being in the right place, it’s just that he maybe doesn’t have the natural instinct to play that deeper role and cover third man runs.

But, if you look at where Ramsey has performed best in his career so far, it has undeniably been when allowed a bit of freedom to get forward and be creative, whether that be at Newcastle or Aston Villa.

He is widely considered a ‘left eight’, being able to drift into that channel, using his powerful running and creative ability to progress attacks from there.

Now if he was placed into the 10 in this Jaissle system, that would give him the freedom to affect the game further forward. Add to that Ramsey’s ability to retain possession, and some of those wasted chances or rushed attacking phases would likely also become more sustained and transition would be less of a problem.

Similarly, from a defensive perspective, Ramsey could provide Newcastle with a bit more of a midfield three out of possession, more so in terms of cutting off those massive spaces centrally rather than Jaissle having to change his tactic.

By no means am I suggesting that Jacob Ramsey is the answer to all of Newcastle’s problems. But there is a well substantiated claim that moving him out of the midfield pivot would not only be beneficial for him, but also the overall structure and performance of Jaissle’s system.