Provided with multiple chances, Joselu could not find the net for Newcastle United against his former club.
I approached Joselu’s signing with Newcastle full of cautious optimism. My cautiousness was mainly tied to his lack of finishing over the past few seasons. While there are multiple things a striker must do in a match, scoring goals is far and away the most important.
When he scored his first Newcastle United goal against West Ham, it was a very welcome sight. What if he was simply in the wrong situations on his previous clubs, and that’s why he couldn’t score consistently?
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Unfortunately, the match against Stoke City may have given Toon Army a perfect example of Joselu’s lack of finishing ability. Throughout the week, he seemed eager to make his former club regret selling him to Newcastle this summer. Despite losing the match, his performance likely comforted Stoke that they made the correct move in selling the Spanish striker. He missed a handful of chances to push the lead for Newcastle to 2-0.
He rushed his shot on a perfect cross from Chancel Mbemba that found him wide open in front of goal. After a deflection of a DeAndre Yedlin shot, the ball ended up at Joselu’s foot, but his effort was remarkably weak and easily saved. Then, in the second half, he found himself in another good spot. This time, he sailed his effort well into the stands.
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Thankfully, Newcastle United still won the match. But, this has to be a red flag for the club moving forward. Nerves very well may have played a role in his poor outing, but the fact that his track record is so poor with scoring goals, it must be cause for concern. Rafa Benitez will need to handle the situation with care. Dwight Gayle should probably earn a start against Brighton, but the manager will need to be cautious about crushing Joselu’s confidence, which can’t be remarkably high right now. Hopefully, this was a one time dud for Joselu, but he will need to score goals to prove he deserves to be the first choice man up top.