Journalist gets it embarrassingly wrong on Newcastle United striker – Oh dear | OneFootball

Will Osula was a surprise signing in the summer.

Newcastle United paying an initial £10m for the raw, young and inexperienced striker.

United making clear that he was one for the future, a young player going into the first team squad to learn his trade, hopefully get minutes on the pitch as the season progresses.

Will Osula got his first minutes in the 3-1 defeat at Fulham, with Isak and Wilson injured, Anthony Gordon started up front. With Gordon fatigued after giving it everything, Will Osula coming on for the final seven minutes.

Then with the two main strikers still ruled out and Anthony Gordon desperately needing to be rested, plus of course giving the new young signing a chance in a home cup match against League Two opposition, Will Osula started in the 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon.

However, in the most recent match, the goalless draw at Everton, Will Osula was left on the bench.

I have seen a number of Newcastle United fans questioning why Eddie Howe didn’t bring Will Osula on in the final 19 minutes, to play through the middle and move Anthony Gordon out to his favoured left wing spot. The Newcastle United boss having made four subs up to that point and that is how it stayed.

As well as those fans, I am surprised to see one of the better NUFC journalists making such a schoolboy error…

Chris Waugh writing for The Athletic – 18 October 2024:

‘The answer appeared obvious to many Newcastle United supporters.

Utterly dominant against Everton at Goodison Park and with an expected goals (xG) figure of 2.05 from a match that ended goalless, Newcastle needed an out-and-out striker. Their two senior strikers, Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson, both missed the game through injury and, although Anthony Gordon caused problems in a makeshift role up front, he is more winger than natural centre-forward.

William Osula, the 21-year-old striker Newcastle spent an initial £10million ($13m) on in August, was among the substitutes. From the 71st minute, head coach Eddie Howe still had one of the five permitted changes available and the identity of that final replacement seemed evident to most.

Yet, despite Newcastle desperately requiring a focal point and a finisher, Osula remained unused for the remainder of the match.’

As I say, I rate Chris Waugh and think he is definitely one of the best NUFC journalists, however, he has had a nightmare here.

In that game at Everton, these subs were made:

62 minutes – Almiron for Barnes

69 minutes – Willock for Murphy

71 minutes – Livramento for Trippier

71 minutes – Longstaff for Tonali

If you are not already up to speed, this explains the schoolboy error from the NUFC journo…

Official Premier League site – 22 July 2022:

Five substitutes

‘The number of permitted substitutes in a match will be increased from the start of this campaign.

Last term teams could only make up to three changes, but following an agreement at a meeting this summer clubs agreed for the quota to be increased to five.

Substitution opportunities will be allowed on three occasions during a match, with an additional opportunity at half-time.

A total of nine substitutes can be named on the team sheet, up from seven last season.’

Basically, Eddie Howe didn’t choose not to use Will Osula in those final 19 minutes at Goodison Park, he couldn’t have used him!

You can make five substitutions BUT only in three moments, not counting at half-time. Eddie Howe had already used up the three occasions.

What actually happened at the game, was Eddie Howe made the tactical substitution of Almiron for Barnes on 62 minutes.

Then the same with Willock replacing Murphy on 69 minutes, as Eddie Howe looked to have fresh legs out wide to give more threat.

Then Kieran Trippier almost immediately went down injured.

The defender limped off with what is now reported to be a hamstring injury and so Eddie Howe had to replace him with Livramento, only two minutes after having brought on Willock.

Eddie Howe clearly wasn’t intending to make another substitution so soon BUT was forced to do so. This was his third and final opportunity and so used it to also give fresh legs in midfield, Longstaff for Tonali, also protecting the Italian as he gradually gets up to full speed and fitness.

Bottom line, at that point on 71 minutes, Eddie Howe had to make one, two, or three subs, his final chance, he decided to make only the two.

With 19 minutes plus what ended up as five added minutes, it was 24 minutes still left to get the winner. Eddie Howe clearly believing the best chance of winning the match, was not adding Will Osula at that point.

If say Gordon had been the one to get injured, then for sure I think Will Osula would have came on.

However, with the subs already made, the only options with still 24 minutes left to play, would have been to bring Will Osula on to replace Gordon, Bruno or Joelinton, on 71 minutes. Clearly none of that would have made sense.

Indeed, the subs made by Eddie Howe very nearly did the job AND keeping Gordon through the middle, with Almiron on 82 minutes producing a brilliant pass to put Gordon one on one with Pickford, only for him to hit his chance over the bar when he should have scored.

Everton 0 Newcastle  0 – Saturday 5 October 5.30pm

Goals:

Newcastle United:

Everton:

Possession was Newcastle 67% Everton 33%

Total shots were Newcastle 14 Everton 8

Shots on target were Newcastle 3 Everton 2

Corners were Newcastle 10 Everton 0

Touches in the box Newcastle 42 Everton 12

Newcastle United team v Everton: