Eddie Howe has been talking about increasing Newcastle United’s goal threat.
This comes in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace, Newcastle United ‘scoring’ a goal and getting a point despite no NUFC player having a shot on target all match.
Indeed, only one (off-target) shot from a Newcastle player all afternoon at Selhurst Park.
However, Eddie Howe insisting that he is confident in the goalscoring options he already has at the club.
As well as making clear that even if he wanted/needed to, Newcastle United don’t have the financial capability/flexibility to buy a readymade goalscorer.
With Alexander Isak forced off on Saturday through injury and Callum Wilson just coming back to full fitness after long-term injury, Eddie Howe asked if Newcastle United will be signing a striker in January?:
“That is a difficult one.
“I don’t think so.
“Fully-fit Premier League strikers, who can score goals, will cost us an extortionate amount of money, that we don’t have.
“We have got to back the players that we do have.
“I know that we have got players who will score and create.
“I have got no issue with the quality of the players we have got.
“It was a difficult one with Callum [when not bringing him on as Isak was forced off].
“He has had minimal training time and I have got to be really careful that we don’t push him too early and we lose him [again].
“I didn’t think bringing him on at that stage of the game, with the minutes that were left, was something that I could do.
“The plan pre-game was 20-30 minutes.
“As it was against West Ham.
“I decided to put Anthony Gordon up there and he has done a really good job for us when he has been up there previously.
“He did well and the lack of goalscoring opportunities isn’t on him, it is the team, we need to do better.”
Crystal Palace 1 Newcastle 1 – Saturday 30 November 3pm
(Stats via BBC Sport)
Goals:
Newcastle United :
Guehi OG 53
Palace:
(Half-time stats in brackets)
Possession was Newcastle 51% (57%) Palace 49% (43%)
Total shots were Newcastle 1 (1) Palace 16 (5)
Shots on target were Newcastle 0 (0) Palace 4 (0)
Corners were Newcastle 9 (3) Palace 8 (3)
Touches in the box Newcastle 12 (5) Palace 24 (7)
Newcastle United team v Crystal Palace:
Pope, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Bruno, Willock (Longstaff 75), Gordon (Wilson 75), Isak (Barnes), Joelinton
Unused Subs:
Dubravka, Trippier, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Almiron, Kelly
(Crystal Palace 1 Newcastle 1 – Instant Newcastle United fan/writer reaction – Read HERE)
(Marc Guehi scores for United but late disaster throws two points away – Crystal Palace 1 Newcastle 1 – Read HERE)
Newcastle United upcoming matches confirmed to end of January 2025:
Wednesday 4 December – Newcastle v Liverpool (7.30pm) Amazon
Saturday 7 December – Brentford v Newcastle (3pm)
Saturday 14 December – Newcastle v Leicester (3pm)
Wednesday 18 December – Newcastle v Brentford (7.45pm) Sky Sports+ (Carabao Cup)
Saturday 21 December – Ipswich v Newcastle (3pm)
Thursday 26 December – Newcastle v Villa (3pm) Amazon
Monday 30 December – Man U v Newcastle (8pm) Sky Sports
Saturday 4 January – Tottenham v Newcastle (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Wednesday 15 January – Newcastle v Wolves (7.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 18 January – Newcastle v Bournemouth (12.30pm) TNT Sports
Saturday 25 January – Southampton v Newcastle (3pm)