Newcastle: Howe must unleash Anthony Gordon

Newcastle United have been in phenomenal form this season and Eddie Howe will surely be absolutely delighted with how quickly his squad has connected and performed in just over a year.


The Magpies are currently fifth in the Premier League table, just two points behind Tottenham Hotspur inside the top four and the Newcastle boss will be hoping his team can put in the final push for Champions League football over their remaining 12 games.

There is no doubt that Howe will be working hard with his squad during the international break as Alexander Isak is the only first-team player who will be away on the international break with his native Sweden.

As a result, Newcastle will have little excuse not to go into the business end of the season raring to go and in a good position to capitalise on the troubling managerial situation unfolding in north London with Spurs.

Howe’s men have seemingly returned to form at just the right time and will head into that clash full of confidence. One player who has been key to the club’s recent run is Jacob Murphy who has earned rare stars of late, showing just why he is “so important” to the side – as per The Athletic’s Chris Waugh – with some notably impressive displays.

That said, his lack of end product is still a cause for concern, with Anthony Gordon now surely needing to be unleashed after the international break.

Should Anthony Gordon be given more game time?

The former Everton academy graduate who arrived on Tyneside just a few months ago but has been an inconsistent feature so far, with the Newcastle team boasting several in-form forwards, such as Murphy, who are making it a more competitive set-up than Goodison Park.

However, the talented winger could find himself earning a more regular spot in the forward line if he can impress his manager in the preparations during the break over the next few weeks.

Over 20 Premier League appearances this season for Everton and Newcastle combined, the 22-year-old has scored three goals and created two big chances, as well as averaging 1.4 shots on goal and winning 3.9 duels per game, proving that he can be a huge attacking influence on the pitch.

Gordon even earned high praise from the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer and Magpies legend Alan Shearer last year, saying:

“A young man that has been causing quite a bit of excitement is Anthony Gordon.

“I’ve personally been impressed by his fearless attitude, he’s not afraid to get stuck in and he tries to make things happen going forward, putting plenty of crosses into the box.”

Despite the 6-foot youngster only making four appearances and averaging just 40 minutes per game so far, there is no doubt that his experience and output at Everton will be a valuable asset to Howe in the upcoming fixtures.

With that being said, Howe should look for ways to unleash Gordon more often to allow the forward to grow into his role. Indeed, the exciting talent he possesses will no doubt play a big part in the club’s chase of Champions League football.