While we still have some hope for Yoshinori Muto, we did an article yesterday on how we felt about the future of Jacob Murphy.
Jacob Murphy – has had little impact in a Newcastle shirt
Jacob Murphy and Yoshinori Muto are Newcastle’s two biggest transfers fee-wise over the past two summer windows. Both have failed to make much of an impact so far at the club.
We will see if Jacob Murphy gets another opportunity to play at St James Park. Most likely his failure to cement a first-team place on-loan at West Brom will mark the end of his Newcastle career.
Yoshinori Muto – has struggled to break through this season
Newcastle fans have had precious few opportunities to see Japanese international Yoshinori Muto this season. The £9.6M signing from Mainz has not featured much. He has failed to make much of an impact at all and has managed only 6 six shots all season.
While opportunities from the bench came early on along with four straight starts in late October through early November, he has played only 154 minutes in the League since. And that includes 90 minutes at Anfield on Boxing day.
Muto was on international duty with Japan for the Asian Cup in January. After which he was allowed to leave to be with his wife and their new daughter in Japan.
By the time he returned, the front three of Almiron, Rondon, and Perez were playing great and it was going to be hard for Muto to get on the pitch.
The fact that the two biggest summer signings of the past two summer transfer windows have failed to make it is a bit concerning. We wonder if this will be brought up by Ashley during his coming meetings with Rafa Benitez.
If it is used against Rafa by the club then it would be disgraceful. That the two highest transfers for a Premier League club during the crucial summer window are only in the £10M range is not a poor reflection of the manager.
It is a poor reflection on the hierarchy at Newcastle.
8 comments so far
bettyswallocks
May 15, 2019 at 9:40 AM
Comment #1Mute and Murph haven’t exactly set the club alight as yet but I’m sure Rafa hadn’t given up on them yet. He won’t want to sell them at a loss and leave himself open to being condemned as a poor judge of a footballer.
Lee Charnley Bunga Party
May 15, 2019 at 9:41 AM
Comment #2I hope Muto can have a good pre season and properly learn English so he can make inroads into the team!
The problem I find with him is when he gets brought on he seems to play out wide or go into weird positions yet when I seen him playing for Japan he was up front and pretty explosive like a poor mans Vardy!? Pressing all over and running onto through balls seemed like he would be perfect for our counter attacking strategy !?
RobLeenio
May 15, 2019 at 9:51 AM
Comment #3I see the trials and tribulations of Mr Christopher Coleman continue, having been sacked by Hebei China Fortune. Seems he had all his best players sold from under him as the owners looked to take a chunk of cash out of the club and has been pushed out. Sad really, he really should have stayed with Wales.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/48248039
martoon
May 15, 2019 at 9:58 AM
Comment #4On topic – let’s hope Ashley doesn’t have Munster as an adviser
Nicky the ball tosser
May 15, 2019 at 10:55 AM
Comment #5Murphy, Muto and Atsu are decent back up next term if we have Rondon, Almiron and Perez to start.
We need to replace and upgrade 3 players as a priority – Joselu, Diame and Barreca, while also swapping Rondon for Gayle, who really is far more useful to Brom than us. Anything more is a bonus, ie moving on the half dozen or so others on our books who won’t figure.
mactoon
May 15, 2019 at 11:27 AM
Comment #6I still believe that Muto and Ki Sung-yueng were not Rafa’s choices and were bought by the club more for the potential of selling shirts in their respective parts of the world than how they could improve the team
Munster Mag
May 15, 2019 at 2:12 PM
Comment #7Martoon, that’s a bit harsh. I try to look at the whole rafa picture and get pilloried for it because it’s not allowed. Rafa has credit in the bank re transfers. But it’s just as well he wasn’t allowed buy Kenedy. 20mill more wud have been wasted.
boltonmagpie
May 15, 2019 at 2:54 PM
Comment #8TBF Kennedy would have looked a bargain at £20m at end of 2018 season. This year he did not seem interested. My question is did we buy the wrong Murphy?