Newcastle United remain without Alexander Isak against Liverpool, but Eddie Howe has an alternative.
The England winger started last Saturday’s Premier League opener away to Aston Villa and is expected to stay in the role until a striker is signed or the Isak situation is resolved. But neither will take place in time for the visit of Liverpool.
Anthony Gordon is Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak alternative
When asked if Gordon will start as the No.9 against the Premier League champions, Howe said: “I think he's done it enough to do the job really well for the team. I've got no issue playing him there. I've played him there a number of times, both as a starter and as a substitute.
“He plays it differently to maybe other strikers, but that can be a positive in the respect that he's got devastating pace, he's got a really good work ethic, and of course he's scored goals historically from wide, and if you look at a lot of those goals, yes, some will be from wide areas, but some will be from central areas. So I think you can overplay the change of position.
“I think he enjoys the role. I thought he played really well last week in lots of different phases of his game. Of course, it would be analysed by the big one, which is that all strikers are judged on their goals. He had a lot of chances, a lot of shots, so I thought it was a really good display from him.”
Howe added: “I think it will be different for him, and of course we're training him there currently at the moment, so he's getting that work as a striker.
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“He's beginning to get that rhythm that you need, probably, playing that position, and the understanding and the tactical knowledge that you need because the role is very different. But he's an attacker and he's a very good attacker.
“The beauty of Anthony when we signed him was he can play right, left and potentially down the middle, something that he has done before – he's done it for England – so it's not something totally new to him.”
Eddie Howe: Anthony Gordon isn’t trying to be Alexander Isak
Newcastle will make a fresh push to land a striker after the Liverpool game, with Yoane Wissa still hoping to join, despite Brentford rejecting a £40million bid on Wednesday. There have also been links to Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson, Wolves’ Jorgen Strand Larsen and Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth,
Whoever arrives will be regarded as a replacement for Wilson rather Isak, who will only be allowed to depart if two strikers arrive. United travel to Leeds United on Saturday before the window shuts just over 48 hours later.
Howe added: “I don't think anyone can fill Alex's boots and Anthony will know that himself. He's not trying to be Alex, he's got to be himself. I think if he'd scored against Aston Villa, you'd go, 'That's the perfect number nine performance'. I think he had seven shots in the game, he looked a threat, he got a man sent off.
“He was using his qualities, which are his pace and his dribbling skills, so I thought it was a really good performance from him. Yes, of course we were missing the goal from the team's overall performance, but hopefully those will come."
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