Jacob Ramsey has been set a new challenge by Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
Slowly but surely, Ramsey is starting to impress for Newcastle United.
While injuries haven’t helped his case, the deal to sign Ramsey from Aston Villa came under question among Newcastle fans due to his lack of game time.
When he did play, the 24-year-old didn’t always impress. Indeed, his first league start came at St James’ Park against Burnley earlier this month and the midfielder struggled.
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However, Ramsey is now playing well for Newcastle. Though not a guaranteed starter by any means, his performances against Fulham and Chelsea pointed to a notable improvement.
Howe was impressed, but still wants more from the former England U21 international.
Eddie Howe wants Jacob Ramsey to produce more goals and assists
Speaking at his press conference ahead of Newcastle’s clash with Manchester United on Boxing Day, Howe reflected on Ramsey’s outing against Chelsea.
The Newcastle United manager said Ramsey produced some “elite” numbers in various metrics for midfielders.
It’s not quite clear exactly what Howe is referring to but he did also claim that it’s important to remember that Ramsey suffered a “nasty” ankle injury in August at Leeds.
Howe believes Ramsey is getting back to his best but still wants to see him produce more goals and assists.
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“That was his best game for us, I felt,” he said.
“Athletically, very good. Some of the numbers he produced in that game were elite, in terms of the benchmark for midfielders. So, I think that’s a great sign.
“The challenge for JJ since his injury at Leeds, where he twisted his ankle, was a nasty injury.
“He had momentum then, but he had to start all over again. I think he’s just returning to his very best levels, you can see technically, he very rarely wastes the ball.
“It’s a great quality to have. I think the next step for him is to start impacting the final third with goals and assists, those decisive actions which we know he’s capable of.”
How Jacob Ramsey compares to Sean Longstaff this season
Ramsey was effectively a replacement for Sean Longstaff after he was sold to Leeds, even if the two aren’t directly comparable.
Longstaff was a fine player for Newcastle, although not always the most fashionable.
So far this season, Longstaff has largely outperformed Ramsey.
The Leeds midfielder beats him for goals (1 to 0), assists (2 to 0), tackles per game (2.9 to 0.9), interceptions per game (0.3 to 0.8) and key passes per game (1.7 to 1).
It’s not an absolutely perfect comparison given Ramsey’s injury issues, but it perhaps isn’t something many people would have expected when the respective deals were done.
Newcastle are convinced that Ramsey will be a success, however, and he does appear to be getting back on track.
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