The very first thing you look at when you are rating a striker, is the number of goals he has scored, and while other things are important, like how many assists he has, a striker’s job is to put the ball into the back of the net.
Luuk de Jong – 8 appearances – no goals
And since Loic Remy has been out for the last three games, Newcastle have struggled mightily in front of goal, and scored only one goal – and that one was way into stoppage time against Crystal Palace when Papiss Cisse scored, and Loic is out on Saturday at Southampton, so we’re not sure who will score the goals.
It’s a great opportunity for both Papiss Cisse and on loan striker Luuk de Jong to step up to the plate and score some goals while Loic is out, but Newcastle are really struggling in front of goal.
This is what Vurnon Anita has said about his Dutch International colleague Luuk de Jong today:
“I think Luuk wants to stay beyond the end of the season, and I hope that happens,” “He is a very good player, and I think he wants to show everyone that.”
“He came in January, and right from the start, he has been doing everything he can to prove himself here at Newcastle. I think he is doing that and I think it would be good for everybody if he could stay past the end of his deal on loan.”
“Luuk is working very hard to keep the ball and link up play,” he said. “That is a very important part of the job that he is being asked to perform, and I think he has been doing it well.
“Unfortunately, the balls haven’t really fallen for him to have a lot of chances, but I am sure they will come before the end of the season and hopefully he will take them. I think he is settling in well. He is working hard, and that is the most important thing.”
De Jong has now appeared 8 times for Newcastle, but in truth he has rarely looked like scoring, although he did have a good shot in the first minute against Everton that was deflected for a corner.
But we cannot see Newcastle giving this lad a permanent deal, unless he bangs the ball into the back of the net and there are only 7 games remaining in the season.
And Alan Pardew may soon have to bring Ben Arfa into the starting line-up, to bolster what is looking like a powder puff attack at the moment.
Newcastle have been giving a lesson into how to miss chances in the last three games, and Vurnon himself missed an absolute sitter after 78 minutes against Everton, although other than that the Dutchman had another good game and worked his socks off for the side.
For the record, Loic Remy on the other hand has scored 13 goals in just 24 appearances this season, and we’d just love to sign the Frenchman to a permanent deal – but he has bigger ambitions than Newcastle can offer.
Well – that’s one way to put it we suppose.
What do you think?
Comments welcome.
Note: Andrew Todd is a passionate Geordie first, and a final year student at De Montfort University second, and he’s busy working on his dissertation. His questionnaire is only for people in the UK Retail Sector, and takes only a few minutes to complete here it is.
Note: Sean Borland is a student in Newcastle and will not be at either the Man United (5 April) or Swansea (19 April) games – and he has tickets – £30 for the ManU game and £20 for the Swansea game – you can contact him at sean4eva@hotmail.co.uk or sean4eva09 on twitter.
10 comments so far
Marty-Toon
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:00 AM
Comment #1The all important goal is the first one,many players find it tough coming to the PL and he lacked match fitness,again the pace of the game and physicality is very different to other leagues.
Think he’s a good player but again we’ve nobody putting decent balls into him.
Without Cabaye and Benny he’s not getting service either.
Most of Cisse’s chances came through De Jong
I’d sign him up but for a good deal less than 8/10 mill
valle
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:01 AM
Comment #2We need players who can take us to the next level… De jong isnt such a player and should be signed as a squad player at most.
Marty-Toon
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:11 AM
Comment #3Liverpool have the best strike force on the PL this year.
How much did they pay for them?
Maybe 40/45 million which isnt too much for over 40 goals in a season.
They also got Gerard most of his penalty and free kick goals return.
Investment in the right players pays off.
Both players have been out for many games too.
Would Ashley pay it out if he knew he could break into the top four?
Who would’ve thought that Sturridge would have 20 goals?
I never really rated him before he joined up with Suarez.
Carragher was saying that Owen is one of England’s best ever forwards yet never reached 20 goals in a season,Sturridge is showing him up.
My point is that they paid out the cash for two good strikers and they get good deliveries from many areas in the pitch.
Of course a good manager helps too.
Think if we had 30 extra goals this season,where would we be?
It’s not that Liverpool don’t leak goals but they more often score more that the opposition,a bit like the entertainers
Marty-Toon
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:13 AM
Comment #4Valle,
Ashley won’t wanna pay good money for a player to sit in the squad unused.
Many strike partnerships take time but at newcastle we never give players time as we want to score and play beautiful football with our penny pushing team
valle
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:19 AM
Comment #5Marty… Yah I know we wont buy him as a squad player for that price, it was more a point to illustrate what impact I think he could have (Or lack of). I also agree that we are trying to get bargain bin deals a bit to much, but even so, we have to get a bargain deal striker that can actually score a good amount of goals or its relegation time for us. Carr has shown that he CAN find good players on the cheap, so I guess we just gotta trust and hope that he can pull it off again. That said, if our disgrace of an owner had actually backed some of Carrs recommendations earlier, we would have quite a few good goalscorers in the team already for a bargain price… Now their price have doubled or even tribled though.
Harley
Mar 27, 2014 at 8:21 AM
Comment #6I’m not voting yet, I’ll wait until the end of the season.
The signs don’t look good. He doesn’t look strong, fast or look like he has an eye for goal.
He’s got a decent first touch and looks like he can play a bit.
We aren’t going down or up, we’ve nothing to play for. We may as we’ll keep him in the team until the end of season to see if he can do it.
If I was a betting man I’d say he won’t deliver.
anthc
Mar 27, 2014 at 11:19 AM
Comment #7If hes that good vurnon why don’t you go with him when hes sent back. Neither would be missed imo.
Whumpie
Mar 27, 2014 at 1:49 PM
Comment #8No matter what he does in the remaining games 8m is way over the top. I hope he comes good but he seems to lack the brutality needed in the prem.
dufuss
Mar 27, 2014 at 3:47 PM
Comment #9we just need better players who ken where the onion bag is
toonicle
Mar 27, 2014 at 4:19 PM
Comment #10I still think we should sign him, he’s young and will only get better. He has good link up play and should have had his first goal if Sissoko hadn’t stolen that one from him in front of the net a couple games ago. He needs to get used to the tackling and physicality though, looks like he’s shying away from that at the moment.