Eddie Howe has a proven track record at improving players at Newcastle United and Anthony Elanga desperately needs a bit of his magic.
Newcastle paid £55million to sign Elanga but the move is yet to work out. In 11 appearances for the club, the 23-year-old hasn’t registered a goal or an assist.
That reading is a little harsh given Elanga has created some good chances for his teammates and he can hardly be blamed for their poor finishing at times.
Still, his performance on Saturday was a concern. Newcastle lost 2-1 to Brighton in the Premier League and Elanga was poor.
It was an afternoon to forget for the player and Jacob Murphy offered a lot more after replacing his teammate at the break.
Howe has improved several Newcastle players during his career and Elanga could do with his guidance.
- Who is Anthony Elanga? Newcastle United’s brand new £55m winger
It’s time for Anthony Elanga to come out of the firing line
Elanga is confident his form can “explode” at Newcastle, and after recording 11 Premier League assists last season, has a reason to think that.
It’s important not to write him off too quickly. The whole of Newcastle United’s attacking line outside of Nick Woltemade is not functioning, so he’s hardly alone in struggling.
However, Elanga looked bereft of confidence on the pitch. While it’s hard to imagine any player coming off at the break, it was a blessing to come out of the firing line.
Murphy should start against Benfica on Tuesday. The Elanga experiment hasn’t worked yet, and Howe needs to work his magic on a desperately out of form player.
There’s reason to think Elanga will come good but it’s fair to say he’s endured a poor start. In some of his other games, there have been glimpses of what is to come. Against Brighton, however, such signs were profoundly lacking.
| Brighton vs Newcastle United statistics | Anthony Elanga |
| Minutes played | 45 |
| Accurate passes | 13/14 (93%) |
| Accurate crosses | 0 |
| Touches | 20 |
| Chances created | 0 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Succcessful dribbles | 0/1 |
The shock player who could replace Anthony Elanga at Newcastle United
Murphy looks the most logical replacement for Elanga and, in the short term, almost certainly will be.
It is interesting, however, to hear that the club have considered a surprise plan behind the scenes.
When fit, striker Yoane Wissa could replace Elanga as a winger for Newcastle.
The DR Congo international has played on the left for Brentford but is much less experienced on the right.
Wissa is expected to return for Newcastle in mid-November after suffering a knee injury in September.
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