Newcastle United’s in-form 5-a-side team

Lots of us like to play 5-a-side football in our spare time, but have you ever considered how the team you support would line-up if they were limited to five players?

Based on current form, and with a formation of one goalkeeper, one defender, two midfielders and one striker, we at Shoot thought it would be interesting to see who would make the grade for each Premier League outfit.

Here’s what we came up with for Newcastle United…

Goalkeeper:

Rob Elliot

With Tim Krul and Karl Darlow out injured, there’s not much competition here for Rob Elliot.

But to be fair to the 29-year-old, he is one of the few Newcastle players who can hold his head up high despite shipping in a number of goals in recent times.

A physical presence and good shot stopper, the Republic of Ireland international would be hard to beat in 5-a-side.

Defender:

Janmaat would look to link-up with those in attack

Daryl Janmaat

A player that hasn’t covered himself in glory this term but has been slightly better than his three team-mates beside him, Daryl Janmaat has been given the nod to lead from the back.

The Dutchman has great technical ability and links up well with those in front of him.

A concern in 5-a-side though would be his determination to join in attacks, which would leave his side wide open.

Midfielders:

Moussa Sissoko

Despite struggling to find consistency in the Premier League, Moussa Sissoko has still probably been Newcastle’s best player this season.

A fantastic performance in the 6-2 thrashing of Norwich showed off his pace, power and eye for a pass in the final third – all of which will come in handy in 5-a-side.

His physical stature would be enough to unsettle the opposition, who would always be wary of his presence on the pitch.

Georginio Wijnaldum

Georginio Wijnaldum has six Premier League goals to his name

Another who’s finding it hard to perform at the same level every week is £15 million man Georginio Wijnaldum.

Despite failing to hit the heights on a consistent basis, the Netherlands international has scored six Premier League goals, including four against Norwich, and has showed, in patches, the talent he possesses.

Technically fantastic, the 25-year-old would link play well and chip in with the odd goal.

Striker:

Ayoze Perez

We may have opted for Aleksandar Mitrovic to lead the line, but the prospect of going down to four men in 5-a-side means we’ve opted for Perez.

The forward could do a job as a striker but also has the versatility to drop into midfield and help keep the ball.

Additionally, his movement, skill and eye for goal will make him a great player in a small-sided game.