Part of the reason why Newcastle United did so well in the Championship was that they had a British core who were well accustomed to the Championship grind. Players like Jamaal Lascelles, Jonjo Shelvey, Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle performed admirably and Newcastle were back to the top-flight in no time. However, the same setup was never going to work well in the Premier League.
While Rafa Benitez has done well to keep Newcastle above the relegation zone, the fans and the neutrals knew it was going to be a struggle — considering the business the club mustered in the summer — and that’s exactly what has transpired.
The Magpies managed to add Kenedy and Islam Slimani in January, but the window could have been so much better. They were linked with Feyenoord striker Nicolai Jorgensen but the move failed to materialise. While many will argue that it’s a good thing, considering Slimani already has Premier League experience, Jorgensen does seem like a good player and reports indicate that the club will try to sign him again come summer.
But before they do, here are a few things they need to keep in mind…
#1 They’ll need more creativity for Jorgensen to function well
Duh. Pretty obvious, but I had to point it out because for some reason, clubs these days presume signing a good striker will solve their scoring woes, entirely neglecting who is playing behind him.
Jorgensen has done well at Feyenoord because they have a good wide player in the form of Steven Berghuis – 12 goals and eight assists – and good midfielders – Tonny Vilhena and Jens Toornstra at the club. Newcastle have decent wingers in Atsu and Ritchie, but lack someone who can pick a pass consistently when played in a number 10 role.
A good number 10 playing behind Jorgensen could be the start of something special at St James’ Park.
#2 Eredivisie imports don’t guarantee success
Because of the dropping standards of Dutch football, Eredivisie imports are always a bit dicey. Going back to the previous point, even with creativity and good width, Vincent Janssen, who set the Eredivisie on fire with AZ Alkmaar, flopped spectacularly at Tottenham.
Lest we forget, Luuk De Jong didn’t exactly have a good spell at Tyneside either. The Dutchman was signed on loan from Borussia Monchengladbach but rose to prominence before his spell in Germany. A product of the De Graafschap academy, De Jong didn’t score for the Magpies even once in the league!
#3 They’ll have to get rid of a forward
Either Dwight Gayle or Aleksandar Mitrovic. While the former has struggled in the Premier League, the latter has the ability but is often let down by his temperament on the pitch.
The loan move to Fulham should help him get his career back on track, but if he repeats the same mistakes at Craven Cottage, it’s likely Rafa will pull the plug.