A striking absence of logic in Magpies’ policy on forwards
WHY HANG ON TO FRONTMEN ONLY TO FREEZE THEM OUT?
I MEAN, what the heck is going on? What is the clear-cut policy here?
Newcastle repeatedly snub a couple of their experienced strikers, stick them in the freezer ignoring their potential to start, and then offer them new contracts.
They did it a year ago with Andy Carroll when it seemed being injury-prone would condemn him to a free transfer out of the club. And now they have done it with Dwight Gayle, who is reported to have signed a new three-year deal. Honestly, I don’t get the logic. Unless, as so many fans believe, United are secretly preparing for life in the Championship next season where Gayle is indeed a proven goal plunderer!
He scored 24 goals down below during his loan spell at West Bromwich Albion in 2018-19 and 23 goals in the division for the Mags in 2016-17.
Alternatively, such a curious contradiction toing and froing between new contract and team selection raises the legitimate question: has Steve Bruce little to do with recruitment and contracts?
His official title is head coach rather than old-fashioned manager so perhaps his influence is effectively limited to picking the team rather than the wider base of player planning.
Yes, at this late stage of their careers maybe players like Gayle and Carroll will readily accept another secured pay day, but Geordies are baffled as to what the club are doing doling out new deals and then not playing players.
If United repeatedly turn their backs on a player you presume they want to let him go. If they rate him enough to deem him worthy of a new contract you would think they would play him. Especially in their desperate time of need.
United have had Callum Wilson, Miggy Almiron and Allan SaintMaximin all injured at the same time but have completely blanked Carroll while giving Gayle a solitary start not through the middle but on the wing.
Now I’m not suggesting for one moment that either Gayle or Carroll is worth a new contract. Far from it. Harsh evidence tells us neither is good enough at this stage of their career, but if they are to be kept on the payroll you would presume they would be used at the very least when injuries bite. I have heard it suggested that Gayle has been rewarded because United want to protect their investment but they have had plenty of time to cash in on him since he arrived in 2016 and age (he’s 31) is now gnawing away at his value. He is worth less by the year. Another way of trying to make sense of it all is that the pandemic has hit the club so hard financially they are taking the least costly way out.
Recent history suggests that could be the case, heaven help us, but more of that later.
Geordies are totally accustomed to a late U-turn by their club of course.
It happened at the end of last season with Matty Longstaff. He was snubbed, apparently on his way to Italian club Udinese, then suddenly signed a new deal.
Not that it has made much difference. The younger Longstaff has gone straight back to being ignored.
However, mind-changer Steve Bruce tends to do that.
He has regularly lavished praise on Gayle, saying how he has repeatedly tried to sign him down the years, how he is a natural finisher, and then rewarded him with only two Premier League starts this season.
Indeed Gayle’s Newcastle career is a set of very average stats outside of his time with us in the second tier.
This season has seen two PL starts plus nine sub appearances for one goal, the winner at home against West Brom. Last season it was 10 starts plus 10 as a sub for four goals. In 2017-18 Gayle’s record was 23 starts and 12 subs,
United decided not to keep Adam Armstrong (left) and Ivan Toney, while splashing out £40m on Joelinton
If they are to be kept on the payroll you would presume they would be used at the very least when injuries bite
six goals. When looking at United’s striker options I suppose Gayle is a better bet than Yoshi Muto, who the Mags deemed to be worth £9m but who has one PL goal on his record from seven starts plus 18 sub appearances.
Muto is due back at the end of the season from Eibar where he has been on loan with another year left on his contract. So too is Elias Sorensen, who is plainly not going to make it at top level.
The pity is United decided it was not worth holding on to highly promising youngsters Adam Armstrong and Ivan Toney, instead cashing in to make a few quid well below their current values having since plundered goals regularly at Championship level.
United have made some wayward transfer calls of late – a club record £40m splashed out on Joelinton but neither Armstrong nor Toney rated capable of having a top-flight future.
As for Newcastle doing the cheap thing of hanging on to what they have got, it is a fact that Gayle follows Ciaran Clark, Matt Ritchie, Jonjo Shelvey, Karl Darlow, Isaac Hayden and Javier Manquillo who have all extended their stay at SJP in the last year.
On the surface United look unambitious keeping together the core of a relegation-fighting side rather than looking to improve.
A harsher judgement would be that they are simply rewarding mediocrity because it is convenient.
Newcastle appear to be ready to take up a 12-month extension on Fabian Schar’s contract while they have further decisions to make on Carroll, Federico Fernandez, Jacob Murphy, Christian Atsu and Henri Saivet.
The last two are bang certain to leave. They are beyond even being a cheap alternative to signing from outside.