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Opinion

Joselu has scored more goals than entire Newcastle United forward line and midfield(***) this season

4 years ago
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Joselu left Newcastle United on 14 July 2019.

Three days later Steve Bruce arrived as NUFC Head Coach.

Then another five days after that, the £40m (£43m according to Mike Ashley) signing of Joelinton happened.

Alaves were reported to have paid around £2m for Josulu, the striker leaving with the best wishes of Newcastle fans.

Always giving his all, the effort was always there, if not quite the right level of quality or goals for the English top tier.

After promotion in summer 2017 Rafa Benitez naturally said he desperately needed a PL  level striker to help make the step up, Mike Ashley said here’s £5m and keep the change.

Joselu put in a good shift and made 19 PL starts that 2017/18 season, the last of those at the end of January 2018, before Rafa changed to relying on a Gayle/Perez partnership which played a big part in the successful end to that season as United finished 10th.

Many Newcastle fans expected Joselu to leave in summer 2018 but Mike Ashley tightened the screw even further, Rafa forced to make a £20m+ profit on transfers in and out. Not allowed to buy Rondon, Benitez only got him very late on and the Venezuelan was nowhere fit, then added to that, Rafa was only able to get Rondon if he allowed Gayle to go out on loan to West Brom.

As Rondon worked to get fit, once again Joselu did a job.

He made four PL starts by the end of September 2018 but only one other, away at Anfield on Boxing Day as Rafa played a weakened team with more winnable games in that busy period.

Altogether Joselu scored six PL goals for Newcastle, including two in August 2018 against Chelsea and Spurs.

Fair to say no Newcastle fans were gutted when Joselu left BUT after what we have seen this season, could NUFC possibly had any less goal threat if he had stayed?

Over in Spain with minnows Alaves, despite them struggling towards the bottom, Joselu has scored eight La Liga goals in 17 starts, plus three sub appearances.

Compare this to Newcastle United this season, who have only 24 goals in 24 Premier League matches.

Of those 24 goals, defenders have scored 12 of them – Clark (2), Fernandez (2), Schar (2), Lejeune (2), Willems (2), Lascelles (1) and Yedlin (1).

What about the entire Newcastle United forward line and midfielders (***If you exclude Jonjo Shelvey and his 5 goals)?

Altogether you have:

Almiron (2), Matty Longstaff (2), Joelinton (1), ASM (1), Hayden (1).

As well as:

Ki (0), Carroll (0), Ritchie (0), Gayle (0), Muto (0), Atsu (0), Sean Longstaff (0).

So take away defenders and Jonjo Shelvey with his November/December hotspot that came out of nowhere, you have a grand total of seven PL goals from all of the strikers and all of the rest of the midfielders, compared to Joselu sitting there with eight goals in La Liga.

Would NUFC have been just as well keeping Josleu and he more important question, are these Newcastle strikers and midfielders really so lacking in goal threat/scoring, or is it down to Steve Bruce’s tactics?

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