Harvey Barnes has been splitting opinion within the Newcastle United fanbase for some time now. His goalscoring ability is undeniable and the winger continues to pop up in important moments, but there are some questions about whether he does enough across the rest of a 90-minute game.
Barnes was at it once again yesterday against Crystal Palace, scoring the Magpies’ second goal after having a rather anonymous game up until that point, which once again raised some rather pertinent social media discourse from Newcastle fans about his overall impact.
Difficult to criticise
The first thing to note is that it’s very difficult to criticise Barnes no matter what you might think about his overall game, simply because there’s always a chance he pops up with a goal, even in his worst games.
In fact, his two Premier League goals this season have both come in exactly that environment. Against Bournemouth, after a more than lacklustre start that saw the Magpies go 2-0 down, Barnes sprung to life and curled one beautifully into the top left corner to get Jaissle’s men back into the game.
Then, yesterday, after a very poor first half from the whole team, Newcastle scored a couple of quick-fire goals at the start of the second, including a whipped first time finish from Barnes that wasn’t far from being his first meaningful action in the fixture.
Before Barnes scored in both of those games, it would have been defensible to suggest he would have been a candidate for substitution in an attempt to secure three points. But, as he so often does, he proved just how risky taking him off is.
But there have been games this season where, if he doesn’t score, he doesn’t look remotely close to actually providing something of use for the Magpies.
Efficient but anonymous
This is where pockets of the fanbase have been incredulous about Barnes because, as much as scoring important goals is arguably one of the most important attributes a footballer can have, at what point does his anonymity for large portions of the game become a bigger problem than the goals solve?
That might sound a bit silly, but, if we take a look at games like the two 4-1 defeats away from home against Leeds and Coventry, what he offered simply wasn’t enough to make the possibility of a goal worth it.
There is, however, a difference between being anonymous and being ineffective. Barnes is never going to be the sort of winger who gets on the ball constantly, dictates the tempo or produces a constant stream of creative actions. His game is built more around finding space in dangerous areas, making runs beyond the defensive line and being decisive when opportunities present themselves.
That can make him frustrating to watch when Newcastle are struggling to create chances, because he can go long periods without having much of an impact on the game. But it doesn’t necessarily mean he isn’t doing anything useful, nor does it mean his contribution should be judged in exactly the same way as a winger whose main strength is creating opportunities for others.
And this is where I think some of the criticism of Barnes misses the mark. While there are certainly games where he could do more to involve himself, I don’t think his overall contribution is quite as limited as some make out. There are things he offers away from the goals that are less obvious on first viewing, and looking at his performances purely through the lens of how often he gets on the ball risks overlooking them.
Link-up, discipline & hard work
Before this weekend's game, Barnes had reportedly completed 180 sprints in the Premier League, putting him among the league's most active players in that regard. It is a testament to his work rate and willingness to run, something I don't think is always recognised by Newcastle fans.
Similarly, Barnes doesn’t shirk doing his defensive work when needed. Whilst he isn’t exactly the highest output defensive winger in the world, his discipline to recover, even after pressing high, has seen him aide Lewis Hall well and the Magpies are rarely left exposed down the left flank.
On that partnership with Hall, Barnes’ link-up play with his left-back on that side is always strong, and the two are building a very nice partnership down that side.
If you want to take it a step further, Barnes also has more experience than his more junior teammates, and the winger is undeniably vital to the way that Jaissle wants his side to play in many phases of play, not just in front of goal.
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