2-6-2 formation at Manchester City? Sounds good to Newcastle United boss John Carver

For Carver’s been told to send out a starting XI against Manchester City with a back two, and not a back four.

The club’s head coach was given a footballing lesson ahead of this evening’s game at the Etihad Stadium at his golf club on a day away from the club’s training ground.

Carver might have been tempted to call upon as many defenders as possible against a team boasting the likes of Sergio Ageuro and Wilfried Bony.

But the 50-year-old’s been told the best form of defence is attack.

“I sit down with the fans every day,” said Carver, who has just four senior specialist defenders available to him ahead of the Premier League game.

“I was at the golf club the other day on a day off and sat with nine, 10 and 11-year-old kids for 10 or 15 minutes talking about the team.

“You’re having a forum all the time.

“It was quite funny. I asked one kid what his formation would be and to write down his team on a piece of paper.

“He had two defenders in a 2-6-2. I told him we would do that against Manchester City!”