Newcastle United's £55m signing has made a sluggish start to life on Tyneside
Anthony Elanga of Newcastle United
Anthony Elanga of Newcastle United(Image: Richard Lee/Shutterstock)
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Anthony Elanga's struggles at Newcastle United continued in the defeat against Brighton on Saturday. The £55m signing was substituted at half-time after failing to impress in the opening 45 minutes.
The Sweden international has endured a difficult start since his arrival at St James' Park in a huge transfer from Nottingham Forest.
Elanga was brought into the United set-up after a stellar season at Forest, which saw his pace and drive contribute to the East Midlands side's success. Elanga scored six times and had another 11 assists in the Premier League.
However, his form has dipped since his arrival on Tyneside, with Newcastle failing to get the best out of the player, while the winger himself has struggled with his end product.
Another former Newcastle winger, Chris Waddle, believes the different tactical style between Forest and Newcastle is contributing towards the struggles, and that Elanga may take some time to adapt to what Eddie Howe wants from him. And Waddle has also warned that it could be another couple of months before the Magpies see the best of Elanga.
"He has to be playing on the front foot," Waddle told BestBettingSites.com. "When he was at Forest, they were set up to play on the counter.
"They would be happy to sit back, get the team behind the ball, play deep, and watch the opponents have the ball. Then they’d get it and break, and punish their opponents.
"Newcastle are the opposite. They take the initiative, and you’ve got to press high and get the ball back with intensity, and play from there.
"It’ll take him a little time to adjust, and I’ve experienced it too. At some clubs you don’t hit the ground running when you first come in, because you’re learning the club and what the other players are like.
"You don’t just settle into a team, but your family settles into a house, and you settle into the city. Sometimes it all clicks straight away, but for Elanga it might even take him until Christmas before he’s ready.
"It can easily take six months to adjust to a new club, how they play, getting new friends, getting your family settled. That really isn’t easy.
"Mo Kudus at Spurs is an example of a player who has hit the ground running. He really came out of the blocks, but Elanga now has to be patient, and he has to adjust.
"We know he has the talent and he’s a clever winger. It’s a matter of time, I’m sure."
Newcastle will be hoping that it clicks with Elanga long before Christmas, with a hectic period of fixtures to come over the next few weeks. The Magpies are back in action on Tuesday night against Benfica where Eddie Howe must decide whether to stick with his new signing or revert back to Jacob Murphy, who replaced Elanga at half-time at the Amex Stadium.
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