Newcastle United's heavy defeat to Coventry City on Monday night has again put Matthias Jaissle's tactics in the spotlight, heading into this weekend's St James' Park showdown with Aston Villa.
Formation change under Jaissle
The German head coach has introduced a 4-2-3-1 system, one that is used throughout the Premier League now, but a marked change from the 4-3-3 United had become accustomed to under Eddie Howe.
The formation itself is not particularly controversial, but the implementation at Newcastle appears to have caused plenty of issues on the pitch.
Defensive concerns and stats
United have been extremely open when it comes to allowing chances to be created against them, with 106 shots raining in on Lukas Hornicek's goal in the opening six games. Only Crystal Palace (108) have conceded more.
It's perhaps not surprising then that Newcastle have the joint worst goals against tally with 13, along with Chelsea and Bournemouth.
And yet, a win at Coventry would have sent United fourth in the table. That CBS Arena defeat was only their second under Jaissle, so clearly there is no cause for alarm.
Injuries and options
Injuries have restricted Jaissle's options so far this season, but Newcastle now have a robust squad for Saturday night's game with Villa.
Nico Gonzalez returned to the side at Coventry, with Joelinton making his first appearance of the campaign from the bench, while Jacob Ramsey is closing in on a return.
That will give Jaissle the chance to bolster his midfield with more bodies, although it would be a surprise if he abandons his tactics at this early stage.
Vote: Tactics or personnel?
So is it more of a question of the wrong players in the role? Should Newcastle look to play a more midfield-focused No 10 instead of Yoane Wissa, who is essentially a striker?
That's the question we're asking you today. Are the current tactics fine, do they need to switch to 4-3-3 or another formation, or is it a case of changing the personnel?
