£150k-p/w flop showed why Newcastle need to sign an upgrade in January
Newcastle United picking up a rare away win in the Premier League should’ve been a joyful night for those of a Magpies persuasion.
Indeed, before this trip to Turf Moor, Newcastle had suffered back-to-back defeats on the road to Sunderland and Manchester United, so it would have been a relief that they managed to get the better of Scott Parker’s relegation-threatened Burnley side 3-1.
Still, it was far from a vintage Magpies showing, with journalist Craig Hope – come the end of the topsy-turvy contest – stating that the final scoreline was “not a reflection of how this game played out”, with Burnley spurning several chances to snatch a share of the points, or even a win.
Thankfully, there were enough positive performers from the away side’s perspective to clinch all three points, as Joelinton, Yoane Wissa, and Bruno Guimaraes shared out the goal load.
But the lack of a cutthroat nature deep within the Newcastle ranks will irk Howe as he contemplates changes for the Toon’s return to St James’ Park versus Crystal Palace in the New Year.
Newcastle underperformers who could be dropped
Having watched their rampant side race into a two-goal lead after seven minutes, the travelling Newcastle faithful would have wanted to see their clinical side wipe the floor with their lowly hosts.
Instead, Burnley were afforded a way back into the contest, and if it hadn’t been for some sloppy Burnley defending for both Wissa’s first-ever Magpies goal and Guimaraes’ fortuitous match-winning moment, Parker and Co could have collected only a fourth league win of the season.
Harvey Barnes was notably out of sorts throughout, as the ex-Leicester City winger could only manage a forgettable 27 touches of the ball, as per Sofascore, to try and add to his seven-goal tally for the season.
Moreover, Sandro Tonali fell way below his usual energetic standards when only winning two of his six duels on the night, with Howe perhaps prepared to drop both these usual members of his starting XI as the games come thick and fast.
Newcastle World’s Jordan Cronin would even note, in his post-match musings, that the Italian has been “iffy” for some time now, meaning a shock removal from the main lineup could soon be on the cards.
He’s far from the only first-team stalwart frustrating those on Tyneside, however, with another below-par showing put in from this £150k-per-week attacker at Turf Moor only solidifying further why Newcastle need some reinforcements in January.
The flop who showed why Howe needs to sign an upgrade
Newcastle have already been linked with a long list of attacking names as the chaotic transfer window edges ever closer to reopening, with both Bazoumana Toure and Oscar Bobb tipped to join Howe’s ranks to enhance the manager’s options down either flank.
Based on Anthony Gordon’s showing in Lancashire, Newcastle desperately need to sign an upgrade on their hit-and-miss forward in the New Year.
Indeed, the ex-Everton attacker was a very frustrating player to watch, as an assist after two minutes for Joelinton’s breakneck opener ended up being a rare bright spark.
Gordon’s performance in numbers
Stat
Gordon
Minutes played
80
Goals scored
0
Assists
1
Touches
53
Shots
2
Shots on target
0
Accurate passes
23/28 (82%)
Accurate crosses
0/5
Possession lost
17x
Total duels
5/12
Stats by Sofascore
After that glimpse of quality, Gordon offered very little else, with the lacklustre number ten coming off on the 80th minute mark with zero accurate crosses registered and just two shots attempted at Martin Dubravka’s goal.
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Additionally, his passing was largely haphazard all night as he gave away the ball a careless 17 times, while the England international also only won five of his 12 duels, as he often shirked the responsibility of rolling his sleeves up and getting dirty for the cause.
He was also, arguably, at fault for Josh Laurent’s sweetly struck volley beating Nick Pope, with the aforementioned Cronin accusing him of being “lazy” when trying to shut down the goalscoring number 29.
Gordon would be handed a low 4/10 post-match rating by Cronin, consequently, with Newcastle desperately needing some fresh blood down the right flank at this stage, so they don’t have to over-rely on their hit-and-miss winger to deliver the goods.
With only three goal contributions picked up all season long in the Premier League, there must be an upgrade out there somewhere for Newcastle when the window reopens, with Gordon suffering from another “all over the place” outing against Burnley, as journalist Adam Clery criticised him earlier in the season.
Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom, as Newcastle did at least sign off on 2025 with a win, even if Gordon did put in another worrying performance.
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