Eddie Howe loves his Newcastle United players to be versatile.
A player is much more valuable to the Newcastle United manager if he can play in multiple positions. Dan Burn and Lloyd Kelly can play at left-back and centre-back, while Tino Livramento can play on either side of defence.
Joelinton can operate in multiple roles in the middle of the park, while he can be just as effective on the wing. Just don’t put him up front…
But Newcastle United‘s most versatile player might be Anthony Gordon.
Anthony Gordon was excellent up front against Manchester City
The 2024/25 Premier League season is still in its infancy, yet we have seen Gordon operate in a number of roles. The 23-year-old has played across Newcastle’s entire front line, starting as a striker during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
Gordon was praised for his performance up front, with Alexander Isak out injured. He even scored the decisive goal, converting a penalty after he was fouled by Ederson in the box.
It was an outstanding display from Gordon, raising questions over whether his long-term future could be through the middle rather than out wide.
Eddie Howe says Anthony Gordon is up there with the Premier League’s best
However, Eddie Howe still prefers Gordon as a winger.
The Toon boss has been speaking to the media ahead of Newcastle’s Carabao Cup game against Wimbledon, and was asked whether he sees Gordon transitioning into an out-and-out striker in the future.
“I’d probably still say his best position is as a left winger,” he said.
“But he can and does have the ability to play different roles, number nine being one of them. He can play it very, very well.
“But it is different for him. You could see a few moments on Saturday where he’s receiving the ball totally square with his back to goal. That’s a very different skill to receiving the ball side on as he does as a winger. You would need time and work to develop those skills, which I’m sure he could if trained there on a consistent basis.
“He has so many great skills as a winger. His ability to play one-v-one, his decision making in wide areas is as good as there is in the Premier League, in my opinion. We’ve got to be careful before changing that too much.”
Newcastle United players must learn from Anthony Gordon’s decision making
While Gordon has done really well when he has been asked to play up front, he is much more dangerous as a winger.
His ability to go both ways must terrify defenders, while he is incredibly difficult to stop when he hits top speed.
But the key factor that makes him such a good winger, as Howe says, is his decision making. It is what has taken Gordon’s game to the next level since swapping Everton for Newcastle for £40million last year.
Last season, Gordon hit double figures in both goals and assists. That is because of his decision making in and around the box. He gets himself into a position to be a difference maker, and more often than not delivers.
It is why Gordon’s best position will continue to be out wide, and it is a skill that his teammates would do well to add to their game.
For example, Jacob Murphy’s decision making is at the opposite end of the spectrum. He created some great openings for himself during the draw with Manchester City, but squandered them by either choosing the wrong pass or executing the right pass badly. In contrast, Gordon gets it right more often than not.
As Newcastle continue their search for another winger ahead of January, Paul Mitchell will be mindful of identifying a winger who is also adept at making the right decision in the final third.
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