It has been a strange start for Newcastle United’s summer signings.
The two most high-profile additions in Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes both scored on their Newcastle debuts against Aston Villa but have since struggled.
Tonali was criticised for his performance against Brighton, while Barnes made a very poor decision while his team were 1-0 up against Liverpool.
The £38m man could have squared to Callum Wilson to kill the game off before the Reds mounted a late comeback.
Yet to start since his move from Leicester, it has been a mixed opening few weeks for Barnes.
Still, he has the backing of one former Toon star.
Ayoze Perez assures Newcastle fans Harvey Barnes will get better
Indeed, ex-Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez played alongside Barnes at the King Power Stadium.
In quotes relayed by The Chronicle, Perez has hailed Barnes’s move to Newcastle as the “right step” in his career and that it is “only a matter of time” until he adapts to Eddie Howe’s methods in black and white.
Barnes should be given a chance from the start
So far, Miguel Almiron has been nailed-on to start on the right wing for Newcastle.
Still, the forward has hardly covered himself in glory this season and Anthony Gordon is an option to swap flanks, perhaps allowing Barnes to come in from the off on the left.
Having lost three games in a row, Howe should be taking stock of the options in his squad.
Barnes was a consistent goal threat for a poor Leicester team last season and it is hardly out of the question that he’d continue that in a higher quality team.
While the decision not to square to Wilson was disappointing, to have got into that position again (having done so against Villa) underlines the danger he can offer.
Howe must consider rolling the dice after the international break.
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