**There was a time when we'd defend Anthony Gordon for his poor form. That time was early last season when the Newcastle United winger was coming off the back of a difficult summer.**
Unfortunately, as the months went on, the form never recovered, and we were left scratching our heads as to what exactly went down when he was away with England.
Gordon was subject to a lot of speculation over a move to Liverpool while he was being consistently overlooked by Gareth Southgate during Euro 2024. It had to have been a difficult time. Not to mention him falling off his bike like a weapons-grade cheb.
Therefore, we weren't surprised when he was slow out of the gates last season, but we were very shocked that he never recovered. Still, he started this campaign with a defiant message: "I'm back!".
> [](https://twitter.com/LukeEdwardsTele/status/1985980995837759805)
Luke Edwards held nothing back when digging into Anthony Gordon
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It seems we all missed the caveat that finished that statement with "As long as it's a big occasion", and it hasn't gone unnoticed, with [The Telegraph's Luke Edwards not holding back](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2025/11/05/anthony-gordon-believes-he-is-an-elite-player-but-is-not/) with his assessment of the 24-year-old. Edwards claims that Gordon is not an 'elite' player, but he certainly thinks he is, and he's backed that up with a sensational rant in which he compares him to Alexander Isak.
> "If Gordon really was an elite player, if he was absolutely crucial to Newcastle, it would not even be a debate. The fact the 24-year-old has these question marks hanging over him is not good enough. It is becoming a recurring theme for Newcastle, with fans and coaching staff starting to worry."For an England winger, Gordon’s statistics are damning. He has not scored a Premier League goal for 21 games and has no assists in 19 league appearances for Newcastle either."The last time he scored a league goal was in a 3-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 15. Since August 2024, he has scored six league goals and only two of those have come away from home."He has as many red cards in that time as he has goals on the road in the league. The first of those, against Brighton in the FA Cup, meant he missed Newcastle’s Carabao Cup final win over Liverpool.
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> 'This is not the first time we have had reason to question Gordon’s hunger and determination. A year ago, I questioned both Gordon and Alexander Isak – who we now know was already thinking about leaving the club – as they started the season badly."
When we talk about Anthony Gordon's attitude, this is what we mean
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This is exactly the issue we have with Gordon - He clearly feels he's too good for the 'smaller games'. He's been magnificent in the Champions League, but he can't seem to get motivated for the Premier League unless it's 'Big Six' opposition.
As Edwards goes on to say, 'elite' players don't just turn up for the big occasion and then go missing. Would Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have such ridiculous goal-scoring numbers if they only put the effort in when it mattered in their head?
This is exactly what we mean when we talk about Gordon's attitude. WE don't necessarily mean his penchant for spitting his dummy out on the pitch; we mean his mentality in getting up for the little games.
After having to come off against Athletic Club last night due to his hip injury, we suspect he'll miss Brentford on Sunday anyway, but if he were fit, we'd still hope to see Harvey Barnes selected ahead of him anyway.
Just to add something to Edwards' analysis, Anthony Gordon does have what it takes to be elite. We 100% believe that he has the skills, he has the drive, he just lacks that desire to use those things in every game. We sincerely hope he can address this because we know how good he can be for us.