One of the biggest jobs Eddie Howe could face after being appointed manager of Newcastle United is finding a way to reignite Joe Willock.
Since joining the Magpies on a permanent £25m deal (Sky Sports), the former Arsenal midfielder hasn’t looked anywhere near rekindling the form that saw him score in seven Premier League games in a row at the end of last season.
But in nine appearances so far this season, Willock doesn’t have a goal or an assist to his name.
The England under-21 international has been instead doing the dirty work in midfield and has struggled to link up with Callum Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin.
In Graeme Jones’ three games in interim charge, the 22-year-old was named on the bench on every occasion.
With Howe in attendance alongside Jason Tindall and Amanda Staveley at the Amex Stadium on Saturday evening, Willock was an unused substitute.
What has changed with Willock?
Apart from the fact he is playing in a team that hasn’t won all season and is low in confidence, the stats show that Willock isn’t getting forward as much as last season.
During his loan spell on Tyneside earlier this year, Willock was averaging 1.4 shots, 0.6 key passes and 1.6 dribbles per game according to WhoScored.
His stats after nine Premier League appearances this time around are nearly halved in every attacking department.
He’s currently amassing 0.8 shots, 0.3 key passes and one dribble per game.
The one big change in his game is the volume of tackles he is making. Unlike during his loan spell where he was averaging 1.9 tackles per game, Willock is now making 2.8 per game.
Under Howe, Willock is going to be playing under an attack-minded manager who has the ability to set his team’s up using a number of different systems.
Howe will be under no illusions that he quickly needs to get points on the board, as he inherits a team in the midst of a big relegation battle.
Getting Willock closer to the likes of Wilson and Saint-Maximin could be key to adding goals to this Newcastle team.
That may mean that the former Bournemouth plays a 4-4-1-1, 3-4-2-1 or a 4-1-4-1, all of which he used during his time with the Cherries.
With 12 days to prepare for his first game in charge against Brentford at St James’ Park, Howe will have ample time on the training ground to work with Willock and instil some confidence into a player who could prove vital in our survival bid.
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