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Opinion

Desperate reliance on Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin exposed – Alexander Isak joining them

2 years ago
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Allan Saint-Maximin and Callum Wilson remained out on Saturday…and it showed.

Newcastle United dominating the possession and the game in general but missing the likes of ASM who will run at the opposition and look to create, rather than simply helping to move the ball from one side of the pitch, then back again.

As for Callum Wilson, if chances fall his way, invariably he’ll stick them in the net.

Alexander Isak has came in and already has two (would have been three but for a dodgy VAR call) goals in three matches but against Bournemouth he cut an isolated figure, starved of incisive service and decent support.

I can’t help but think that when he is able to play alongside Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin, it will be a very different proposition.

So are we really as desperately reliant on Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin as our eyes appear to tell us?

Newcastle United Direct goal involvements these last two and a bit seasons:

Jacob Murphy

2020/21 (5 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 3 assists)

2021/22 (3 direct goal involvements – Scored 1 and 2 assists)

Total of 8 direct goal involvements (3 goals and 5 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Miguel Almiron

2020/21 (5 direct goal involvements – Scored 4 and 1 assist)

2021/22 (1 direct goal involvements – Scored 1 and 0 assists)

Total of 6 direct goal involvements (5 goals and 1 assist) these past two years

2022/23 (1 direct goal involvement – Scored 1 and 0 assists)

Jonjo Shelvey

2020/21 (4 direct goal involvements – Scored 1 and 3 assists)

2021/22 (3 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 1 assist)

Total of 7 direct goal involvements (3 goals and 4 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Joe Willock

2020/21 (8 direct goal involvements – Scored 8 and 0 assists)

2021/22 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 0 assists)

Total of 10 direct goal involvements (10 goals and 0 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Ryan Fraser

2020/21 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 2 assists)

2021/22 (5 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 3 assists)

Total of 7 direct goal involvements (2 goals and 5 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Joelinton

2020/21 (5 direct goal involvements – Scored 4 and 1 assist)

2021/22 (6 direct goal involvements – Scored 4 and 2 assists)

Total of 11 direct goal involvements (8 goals and 3 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (1 direct goal involvement – Scored 0 and 1 assist)

Sean Longstaff

2020/21 (1 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 1 assist)

2021/22 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 1 and 1 assist)

Total of 3 direct goal involvements (1 goal and 2 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (1 direct goal involvement – Scored 0 and 1 assist)

So in these past two and a bit seasons, from these above seven Newcastle United midfield and attacking players we have see a combined:

55 direct goals involvements – 35 goals and 20 assists

You then comes to Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin:

Allan Saint-Maximin

2020/21 (7 direct goal involvements – Scored 3 and 4 assists)

2021/22 (10 direct goal involvements – Scored 5 and 5 assists)

Total of 17 direct goal involvements (8 goals and 9 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (3 direct goal involvements – Scored 1 and 2 assists)

Callum Wilson

2020/21 (17 direct goal involvements – Scored 12 and 5 assists)

2021/22 (8 direct goal involvements – Scored 8 and 0 assists)

Total of 25 direct goal involvements (20 goals and 5 assists) these past two years

2022/23 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 0 assists)

This pair have a combined 47 direct goal involvements in two and a bit seasons, with 31 goals and 16 assists.

The thing is, since the start of the 2020/21 season, there have been 83 Premier League matches.

Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin could have started a total of 168 PL games between them BUT they have only been able to make 96 starts between them, only 57% of the possible starts they could have made.

With 47 direct goal involvements between them in 96 combined starts, you are talking about on average the pair of them supplying a goal or assist every other match.

In 111 Premier League appearances (96 starts, 15 as sub), Wilson and ASM producing those 47 direct goal involvements.

Whilst the other seven (Joelinton, Fraser, Almiron, Longstaff, Willock, Shelvey, Murphy) have 55 direct goal involvements in 410 Premier League appearances between then, since the start of the 2020/21 season.

Bottom line is that we have a seriously unproductive midfield and attacking players these past couple of years, once you get past Wilson and ASM. When you consider Willock produced eight of his ten direct goal involvements in his brief initial loan spell, then only two in these last 36 PL appearances, it only makes the stats look worse.

In 2022 Newcastle United have signed three strikers and midfielders:

Chris Wood

2021/22 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 0 assists)

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Bruno Guimaraes

2021/22 (6 direct goal involvements – Scored 5 and 1 assist)

2022/23 (0 direct goal involvements – Scored 0 and 0 assists)

Alexander Isak

2022/23 (2 direct goal involvements – Scored 2 and 0 assists)

Chris Wood came in to do a specific job (help avoid relegation) and he was only ever going to be a but player from this season onwards.

Bruno Guimaraes has shown promise with six direct goal involvements despite only 15 PL starts so far. However, having scored only three goals for Lyon in over 70 appearances (all competitions), we will have to wait and see whether that will also prove a bit of a one-off run in his early NUFC days.

Alexander Isak though has already highlighted his quality, scoring twice and it could / should have been three if not for dodgy VAR. He has got these goals without the assistance / distraction to defenders of ASM and Callum Wilson. So who knows what is possible when they get together?

This season, ASM, Isak and Wilson have only made 10 PL appearances between them and yet have seven direct goal involvements, scoring five and two assists. The entire rest of the NUFC squad have only managed three goals and two assists between them.

Get this attacking trio on the pitch and we will do just fine but once you take a couple of them out…

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