The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Versatile Burn proved safe bet at centre back
SEVEN minutes of stoppage time had been played when Armando Broja bore down on goal. Was there going to be yet another late twist at Craven Cottage? Not if Dan Burn had anything to do with it.
The Geordie, somehow, got back to make a sliding challenge just as the Fulham striker was about to pull the trigger. It finished 1-0 to Newcastle United.
Not only was Saturday a rare win on the road for Newcastle - it was the visitors’ first clean sheet away from home in the Premier League since September.
Fulham may have had 14 shots, but only four of these efforts were on target.
There was a reason why Eddie Howe hailed Burn and Fabian Schar as ‘giants.’ The Newcastle boss even said that Burn, Schar, Martin Dubravka and Bruno Guimaraes ‘kept us in the game early on because the team wasn’t functioning but those players were still strong.’
Having leaked so many goals in recent months - Newcastle conceded 29 in their previous 11 league games - the Magpies have only let in two in their last two matches despite being without their firstchoice goalkeeper, Nick Pope, as well as defenders Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman, Jamaal Lascelles, Tino Livramento and Matt Targett.
Burn, the vocal stand-in skipper, has certainly played his part in the heart of defence after picking up where he left off with Schar in 2022.
“I love it,” he told NUFC TV. “I feel I am still a centre-half by trade. I do love playing left-back. It’s probably more mentally different than physically different.
“There’s not as much running, but you’ve got to be switched on all the time...i want to prove to people I can still play centre-half at this level.”
Those final words should not come as a surprise - this is a player who relishes proving people wrong.
When Sven Botman arrived in the summer of 2022, Burn still started the first few games of the campaign at centre-back. When outsiders then wondered whether Burn had the skillset to play at leftback, the towering defender was a key figure in the Premier League’s meanest backline last season.
As Newcastle look to bring in at least one quality centre-back this summer, Burn will be desperate to prove that he can still offer so much in the position in the final weeks of the campaign and beyond following a testing season physically and mentally.
Burn, like so many in this side, would be the first to admit that he has not hit the unbelievable heights of last season - even before rushing back after breaking his back to help his team - but the Geordie has not let his head drop.
Having previously endured difficult moments up against the rapid Anthony Elanga, Chiedozie Ogbene and Antoine Semenyo in recent months, Burn has looked comfortable back at centre-back.
Should that even come as a shock? This is Burn’s natural habitat, after all, but it is still striking how the defender has slotted back in after essentially being reprogrammed as a left-back having trained and played in the position for 18 months.
Take Burn’s first game starting back at centre-back against Everton on Tuesday night.
Burn led the way for Newcastle when it came to the number of aerial duels he won (10) and the clearances he made (six).
The Geordie’s pass completion rate (91.2%) was also the best of Newcastle’s starters by some distance and it’s worth noting that only 18 of these passes were short i.e. between five and 15 yards.
You may be surprised to learn that only playmaker Bruno Guimaraes had more touches than Burn (81) and made more tackles than the stand-in skipper (four).
Newcastle still need at least one quality centre-back - that was the case even before Botman and Lascelles’ serious knee injuries - but the Magpies will have to be smart this summer to address several positions while still complying with financial rules.
That’s why Burn offering a reminder of his qualities in a league he already knows so well feels timely. These are the very attributes that made Burn such a safe bet when Newcastle missed out Botman, Diego Carlos and others in the owners’ first window in January, 2022.
“It’s always a balance,” Howe told reporters. “You’re looking at who can fill what position. I always say the more versatile the player, the more valuable he is. We need and have needed players this season that can play multiple positions because you never know what’s going to happen or what players you are going to lose. Players like Dan who can dovetail and play different positions are absolutely vital for us.”