Callum Wilson a shock choice? Not when you look at this | OneFootball

Callum Wilson was back in the Newcastle United starting eleven on Saturday.

Callum Wilson was also back scoring for Newcastle United.

The striker scored late on against Brighton immediately before the international break, now he has scored the winner against Brentford after the September internationals.

The only surprise with any of this for me, is that anybody is surprised.

Many in the media and even some Newcastle United fans, making out like the selection of Callum Wilson on Saturday was some big risk, or shock / desperate move.

This is the Callum Wilson record at Newcastle United in the Premier League so far:

2020/21

23 PL starts, 3 PL sub appearances, 2,085 PL minutes played – 12 PL goals

2021/22

16 PL starts, 2 PL sub appearances, 1,389 PL minutes played – 8 PL goals

2022/23

21 PL starts, 10 PL sub appearances, 1,885 PL minutes played – 18 PL goals

2023/24

1 PL starts, 4 PL sub appearances, 186 PL minutes played – 3 PL goals

Callum Wilson total Premier League stats with Newcastle United so far:

61 PL starts, 19 PL sub appearances,  5,545 PL minutes played – 41 PL goals

Callum Wilson NUFC PL Analysis

Averages better than two goals every three Premier League starts (41 goals, 61 starts)

Averages better than a goal every two appearances (41 goals in 80 appearances (60 starts, a9 as sub))

Averages a goal every 135 minutes, so exactly a goal every match and a half’s worth of minutes.

The only real downside has been the injury issues, Callum Wilson only available for 82 of the 119 Premier League matches since signing for Newcastle United.

However, under Eddie Howe’s expert careful handling, Callum Wilson has been available for 39 of the last 45 NUFC Premier League matches, compared to only 43 of the previous 74.

I think Newcastle United fans talk very positively about the idea of building a strong squad and having regular rotation when there are a lot of matches.

However, when it comes to the reality of this, many of them struggle.

So when Alexander Isak was named on the bench against Brentford, some NUFC fans really questioning the wisdom of this.

If this is the case, when exactly are you going to be in favour of Eddie Howe using his squad, taking players in and out?

Alexander Isak had started al four Newcastle games so far and then both matches for Sweden, Callum Wilson had been only used as a sub so far by Eddie Howe this season and had played five minutes for England.

Starting Callum Wilson against Brentford was a no-brainer, with then Alexander Isak set to replace him away against AC Milan three days later in the San Siro.

Playing that lone striker role away in the Champions League, I think Isak is perfect for that.

It is a joke anyway that anybody would see Callum Wilson as a major downgrade. I love Isak, think he is a class player, but Wilson is also a quality striker.

As the goals record shows above, season after season in the Premier League.

What a brilliant position Eddie Howe has managed to get Newcastle in, to have as your second choice striker, somebody who was fifth top scorer last season in the Premier League. Harry Kane has moved to Germany and Ivan Toney is suspended until 2024, so only Haaland and Salah are currently playing in the Premier League, of the strikers who scored more than Callum Wilson last season.

Great news ahead of that Brentford win, to see Callum Wilson and the club agree a new contract extension, adding a year to take him up to 30 June 2025 by which time he will have turned 33. He can definitely still do it in the Premier League these next two seasons and after that, who knows?

Anyway, Newcastle United in a position that pretty much every other Premier League club will envy, having two top quality centre-forwards.