Bring on Rondon to tame the Blues

TIME TO GIVE MAGPIES’ ATTACK SOME EXTRA POWER AND PRESENCE

ALL right, the time has come. Salomon Rondon has to be unleashed against table-toppers Chelsea on Sunday teatime.

United have to start scoring goals and start winning, difficult though that task might be.

Joselu may have claimed Newcastle’s only goal to date but he remains lightweight both as a presence and a finisher, which is why the more muscular Rondon must be given his head to go and justify his arrival.

Rafa Benitez persisted in his chase with negotiations conducted by those above at a painful pace.

Now comes the time to prove it was worthwhile and the No.9 shirt which was once worn with great aplomb by Alan Shearer, Malcolm Macdonald, and Jackie Milburn is not too heavy for broad shoulders.

It is a mighty ask but then that is why you get the big bucks.

Rondon’s record shows he is not a goal-glutton but he has to be the main hope of a regular contribution.

Maybe it was understandable Rondon did not start on the opening day, given his late arrival, but not to get a kick at Cardiff was mystifying.

He could have started, could have been the first striker substitute ahead of United’s other new boy Yoshinori Muto but was then denied a late entry through the sending-off of Isaac Hayden which meant the third substiute had to be capable of filling in at right-back.

No excuses now are acceptable. The pressing need is too obvious.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Rondon could have the instant impact up here two departing United strikers had on dropping down to the Championship – Alexsandar Mitrovic at Fulham and now Dwight Gayle at West Brom.

Rondon is required, Kenedy is not.

He cannot play against his parent club but then after his performance in the Welsh capital he does not warrant automatic inclusion. A short time out of the limelight might do him good.

Is what is on the horizon hugely tough? Naw, United’s next two home games ought to be a doddle. Just do what you have already done this year.

In the last month of last season United smacked Chelsea 3-0 up here and overturned Arsenal 2-1. Six juicy points.

In reality it will not be anything like easy.

This is the beginning of a brand new campaign against new managers players will be eager to please.

Chelsea, for example, will be totally different come Sunday. They were in lockdown last time knowing Antonio Conte was on the last knockings of a long goodbye with the FA Cup final also just a week away.

Now Maurizio Sarri has Chelsea cranked up and joint top of the league with two wins out of two. This is a side with a very different attitude.

Willian stayed only because Conte did not and the perky Pensioners have got off to a flyer despite their best player Eden Hazard being eased back on the bench after his World Cup shift.

Hazard had called upon his club to strengthen and they responded by splashing £122million on Jorginho and Kepa Arrizabalaga which is a slightly different response to Benitez’s plea up here.

That in itself ought to act as a major warning.