Former Newcastle United midfielder Lee Clark has had his say on the team’s current issues in front of goal and thinks he’s got the answer.
Writing for The Daily Mail, Lee Clark has suggested a way that Eddie Howe could get that all important goal: “They are a genuine group who clearly have togetherness and an excellent manager. Eddie will not change his beliefs or panic. They just need that one game, one goal to be the catalyst.
“To that end, Wolves at home on Sunday is huge. Maybe it is time to play Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak together.”
Clark’s idea worked the last time Newcastle won
Fans have been saying this for a while now, spurred on by seeing them link up the last time Newcastle came away from a league game with 3 points when Isak nodded home a Wilson cross to bag the winner against Fulham.
Wilson just hasn’t looked right since the Premier League restarted after the World Cup, almost like he’s just completely ran out of steam, yet Eddie Howe is persisting with the £20m man to lead the line, despite having our ‘unbelievable‘ record signing on the bench, raring to go.
Howe has recently admitted that Isak is still not at his optimum level, but surely a 90% Isak is a better option than Wilson who seems to be running on empty. Give Wilson some time to recharge his batteries, or play them together and see if they can feed off each other’s energy.
One thing Clark was keen to emphasise in The Mail was that Newcastle, despite their lack of goals, are still playing well, and between the boxes are doing very little wrong: “Now, they are playing well. Eddie Howe has it sorted between both boxes. I see a team who pass the ball well, are athletic, compete and create chances.”
It will just take one goal and the floodgates will open
Confidence is such a big thing in football, and that one goal can open up the floodgates. Of course, it’s going to be hard to get that goal if the lads don’t shoot, which has been a particular frustration of mine watching them in recent weeks.
I’m all for playing attractive football, keeping the ball and looking for the openings, but when that’s not working, which it isn’t right now, it’s time to just lash a boot at it and hope for the best. Keep it down, keep it vaguely on target and a deflection could take it goalward, the ‘keeper could make a hash of the save or parry it to a striker’s feet. We need to start creating our own luck. Even if it’s just until that confidence returns.
Having two strikers on the pitch doubles the chances to score – okay, that’s a massive over simplification, but it is definitely time for new ideas with the teams around us picking up points regularly.
I’m not too concerned that we’ve now dropped down to 6th, I still stand by the fact that finishing top 10 this season is an achievement, it just stings a little bit knowing where we were a couple of months ago.
I wouldn’t mind a dose of Lee Clark’s confidence, mind. He finished his article with:
“Beat Wolves this weekend and their confidence will return. I still believe they can finish in the top four.”
It’s not beyond the realms of possibility, but, unfortunately, I do feel it’s unlikely.
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