Newcastle United: Expectations for Rondon and Muto this season
By Durim Halimi
Can Newcastle United’s new attacking duo significantly improve the club’s offensive efficiency?
Newcastle United have completely modified their front-line as the attacking core is now comprised of Salomon Rondon and Yoshinori Muto. The combination of Rondon’s strength and Muto’s pace is intriguing for most Newcastle supporters.
The former duo of Dwight Gayle and Joselu failed to meet expectations as they wasted several golden opportunities to only combine for ten goals last season. On paper, Rondon and Muto are better strikers, but it remains to be seen how Rafa Benitez will utilize the two strikers.
Newcastle currently possess a strong defensive unit and a talented midfield. With that being said, Rondon and Muto will certainly feel the pressure to perform at a high level at Newcastle, but both players have the skills to succeed this season.
Front-Line Expectations
The expectations for Rondon and Muto are going to be different this season and of the two players it will be Rondon who will face the most pressure up top. Unlike Muto, Rondon has three seasons of Premier League experience under his belt with West Brom. Having made 108 appearances in the top flight, Benitez will expect Rondon to hit the ground running as he will not need to adapt to English football.
Muto, on the other hand, will be given some time to adapt to the style of play in the Premier League after making the move from the Bundesliga. With that being said, Muto will still be expected to develop and maintain high standards of football quality since he does have exposure to playing in a top European league.
Experience aside, the two strikers were brought to Tyneside for one simple, yet important reason – to score goals. As a team, Newcastle only managed to score a mere 39 goals in 38 matches last season. Only ten of those goals came from the front-line and Ayoze Perez led the Magpies with eight goals.
This season, Benitez will look to his front men to take charge and execute on most of the opportunities that come their way. Rondon will be expected to consolidate his skills and top flight experience to lead the team in goals, while Muto will be expected follow the same path through his pace and athleticism. Benitez has praised both of the newcomers, but Rondon should be given the nod as the main starter for the club.
Preview: 2018-19 Statistics
Rondon and Muto do not have the most impressive career statistics, however, they never had a strong surrounding cast with their previous clubs. In order for Newcastle to become a standard member of the Premier League’s top ten, Rondon and Muto will have to combine for at least 20 goals. This striking duo has the capability to fulfill this objective and here are my statistical predictions for Rondon and Muto.
Salomon Rondon:
- 14 goals,
- Four assists
Yoshinori Muto:
- 8 goals
- Two assists