Newcastle United need much more out of Yoshinori Muto

Yoshinori Muto needs to show his worth to Newcastle United in the final seven games of the 2018-19 campaign.

Yoshinori Muto joined Newcastle United in the summer for a £9.5M transfer fee, which made him the most expensive signing of the summer for the Magpies. However, the Japanese international striker has failed to meet expectations on Tyneside to the point where Joselu even has better overall statistics as a striker.

Muto has made 13 appearances for Newcastle this season, primarily as a subsitute, and has only scored one goal from a total of six shot attempts. These statistics are unacceptable for a player worth just under £10M. Joselu, the forgotten Spaniard who only cost the Toon a mere £5M in 2017, has made three more appearances than Joselu, but has scored two goals and has 17 shot attempts to his name. That being said, Muto must step up his game in the finals weeks of the season.

Time for a Resurgence

Seeing that Newcastle are only one win away from officially avoiding relegation, and the fact that Newcastle’s final fixtures are not that difficult, we should see Muto get some more playing time. Earlier in the season I analyzed a few factors that hindered Muto’s success, but now is not the time for excuses.

Ayoze Perez has been in top form since the arrival of Miguel Almiron, and Salomon Rondon has been a joy to watch up top with nine goals and five assists this term. The fact that both Perez and Rondon are playing so well will make it difficult for Muto to start matches, but he must make the most of his chances as a substitute. The biggest area of improvement for Muto is to be more involved in the attack when he is off the ball.

The Japanese frontman must call for the ball more frequently, improve his positioning so he becomes a regular recipient of passes and he needs to be a little selfish to create more chances. Rondon once said in an interview that he prepares for each game like it is a cup final, and Muto needs to have that mentality, too. Better yet, Muto should tell himself that the final seven games of the season serve as a final audition for him. Rafa Benitez has been patient with Muto, but his patience has been visibly running out at the stage in the season.