Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Chronicle Live
Chronicle Live
Sport
Chris Knight

This is the Newcastle United XI fans want Steve Bruce to select against West Ham

Isaac Hayden, Jonjo Shelvey and Miguel Almiron should start in midfield for Newcastle United's season opener against West Ham.

That's the view of Magpies supporters who have voted on the starting eleven they would like to see Steve Bruce select for the St James' Park fixture.

United finished pre-season on a high with a rousing victory over newly-promoted Norwich City, and will be looking to carry that momentum over for their first competitive match of the season.

David Moyes' side defied expectations to finish sixth last season, but the Magpies managed to record a double over Sunday's opponents including an opening-day victory at the London Stadium.

Newcastle more recently edged a five-goal thriller on Tyneside in April, with Joe Willock grabbing a winner after the Hammers battled back from two goals down with 10 men.

United finally landed their number one transfer target on Friday, but the midfielder was not registered in time to be available for the season's opener.

This has created something of a midfield dilemma, with Bruce having a number of options at his disposal including the Longstaff brothers, Ryan Fraser and Jeff Hendrick.

The head coach has confirmed Freddie Woodman will start in goal in the absence of Martin Dubravka and Karl Darlow, and this is a decision the fans seemingly agree with.

Jacob Murphy and Matt Ritchie start as wing-backs, with a central defensive trio of Federico Fernandez, Jamaal Lascelles, and Fabian Schar.

Hayden is chosen as the anchor, with Shelvey and Almiron given the licence to roam as the more advanced midfielders.

Unsurprisingly following their appearances in the victory over the Canaries, Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson are chosen to lead the attack.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.