There is no need to sugarcoat it, Anthony Elanga’s start at Newcastle United has been dreadful.
The expectation was that Anthony Elanga would hit the ground running at Newcastle United. He was a proven Premier League talent on the back of an excellent season with Nottingham Forest.
Instead, the Swedish speedster looks extremely out of place in black and white. Positive moments have been fleeting, with the 23-year-old looking uncomfortable in his new surroundings.
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The latest low came when Elanga was called ‘awful’ after the Tyne-Wear derby defeat to Sunderland, before being dropped for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Fulham.
He did make a five-minute cameo during Newcastle’s win over Fulham, and his short outing has made me realise something.
Newcastle United need to utilise Anthony Elanga’s pace better
When you have got a player who is as ridiculously quick as Elanga, the one thing you need to give him is space to run into.
That is something that Newcastle United simply are not doing. Far too often he is receiving the ball into feet, nowhere near the opposition goal. What comes next is either a wayward pass or an underwhelming dribble.
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While Elanga does need to become better on the ball, his teammates also need to play to his strengths. That means playing the ball in front of him to run onto. Let him stretch his legs and hurt teams with his pace.
We saw Newcastle do that against Liverpool and Barcelona earlier in the season and it resulted in some nearly moments for Elanga. His speed in behind was almost lethal, and it still can be if the Magpies change how they use him.
Right now, Elanga looks like a flop at St James’ Park. There is plenty of time for that to change, and Newcastle still expect Elanga to come good. That will only happen if Eddie Howe tweaks how he uses him.
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What Eddie Howe said when Anthony Elanga joined Newcastle United
When Elanga signed for Newcastle United for £55million, there was excitement on Tyneside. There was belief that the Magpies had massively strengthened their forward line.
That belief was shared by Eddie Howe, who could not hide his joy at adding Elanga to his Newcastle United squad ahead of the 2025/26 season.
“He is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat,” he told newcastleunited.com.
“His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play.”
Howe’s prediction is yet to become a reality, with Elanga yet to score for his new club and providing just one assist.
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