Newcastle United are down to the bare bones at the minute and the players that are fit are running on empty, so Eddie Howe must now turn to his academy players if he wants to impact late on in games.
There’s been a run of games where the squad have now looked absolutely exhausted towards the end of the match and it is costing them crucial points.
It begs the question why isn’t Howe turning to some of his younger players like Ben Parkinson who may not have the Premier League experience, but he’s got a hunger to win and has shown a lot of potential in the youth ranks.
Howe can’t ignore the young players any longer
We’ve already seen with Lewis Miley how looking to your academy for added depth can be very beneficial to the team and the player.
The 17-year-old slotted into Newcastle’s midfield perfectly against Bournemouth an hasn’t really looked back since with many supporters suggesting that he should be a mainstay in the team now.
Miley’s performances should be a good example to Howe as to how other players like Parkinson could be of use to him at this difficult time, but the Newcastle boss doesn’t seem too keen on the idea.
Against Chelsea, for example, the first port of call was a 34-year-old Matt Ritchie when Anthony Gordon took a knock, and on the other wing, despite Miguel Almiron looking tired all game, the Paraguayan was made to complete the full 90 minutes.
Parkinson could be a good alternative option for Howe
Last season, Parkinson was promoted to Newcastle’s Under-21 team where he made a promising start in the side and eventually made his first-team debut against Bournemouth last month in a 2-0 defeat.
The teenager has also featured in Newcastle’s UEFA Youth League campaign in which the young Magpies gave a good account of themselves with Parkinson grabbing himself a goal in a 2-1 win against PSG.
Parkinson’s versatility is another reason why Howe could be turning to him in times of need. The 18-year-old can play down both the left and right wing and could at the very least give someone a 10-20 minute rest off the bench.
Howe will know best given that he watches these players train almost every day, but if push comes to a shove then he will eventually have to find an alternative to keeping these tired players on the pitch.
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