Anthony Gordon will be hoping to make his second Newcastle United appearance on Saturday, and has been working closely with manager Eddie Howe ahead of the trip to Bournemouth.
The 21-year-old made his Toon debut last week in the 1-1 draw with West Ham. He replaced Allan Saint-Maximin in the 69th minute and was incredibly lively.
Fans were massively impressed with Gordon, who nearly helped the Magpies grab a winner. He cleverly played Callum Wilson through on goal, but the striker was dispossessed just as he was about to shoot.
But the early signs from the £45million signing are good, with a lot of supporters keen to see more of him.
He will likely get more minutes this weekend, but may have to settle for a role on the bench once again. Howe has hinted that Saint-Maximin will retain his place in the starting lineup, while it would be a surprise to see Miguel Almiron get replaced.
Gordon’s time will come, but Howe is very happy with what he has already seen from the Scouser.
Eddie Howe really pleased with Anthony Gordon so far
Ahead of the game against Bournemouth, Howe has spoke to the media. During the press conference, which is available on the club’s official YouTube channel, he was asked about Gordon.
“It was a really positive debut from him last week,” he said.
“The first impression that you give the home supporters is such an important moment. His first touch was a brilliant one and, from then, he was into the game and away so I was really pleased with that.
“He’s taken that confidence into training this week. He’s keen and I did some one-to-one work with him on Monday and he then trained with the group for the rest of the week. He’s shown some really good signs and his overall performance levels have been very good.”
Howe will make Gordon a top class player
It is great to hear that Gordon is already experiencing one-to-one coaching with Howe. It shows just how hands-on the manager is on the training ground, and it is a big reason why so many players have improved during his tenure.
The likes of Miguel Almiron and Joelinton have massively benefitted from working with Howe, and are now key players at St James’ Park.
The hope will be that Gordon has the same impact, and he has been signed largely because of his potential. There is belief that he can become a top class player in a Toon shirt, which is why the club were willing to pay so much money for him.
Newcastle have struggled for goals in recent weeks, so Howe might be forced to turn to his bench during the game against Bournemouth. If that is the case, Gordon will be eager to build on what was an exciting debut for his new club.
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