Andy Cole has teared into Newcastle’s forward options and believe they are missing a recognised goalscorer.
The Magpies will be relying on a good source of goals to help them avoid a relegation battle in the Premier League this season and were the joint-top scorers in the Championship last year as they clinched promotion.
Rafael Benitez managed to bring in £5million striker Joselu from Stoke in the summer, who is set to battle alongside Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic in attack.
The North East club drew a blank in their opening two league games, but managed to record a convincing 3-0 home win over West Ham before the international break.
Cole explained that there is a big expectation on forwards at St James’ Park due to the past and feels that the current crop of options don’t measure up.
The former striker stated that the number nine kit is a “heavy shirt to wear” and that fans will be expecting a strong goal return.
“It’s going to be a mighty tough season for Newcastle,” Cole told the Chronicle. “Goals win matches and you need to be picking up three points to avoid a relegation battle.
“The manager, a sound judge of footballers, was prepared to sell both Dwight Gayle and Aleksandar Mitrovic if he could find replacements, and Joselu is a £5million buy which is peanuts in the big league.
“A club that puts so much store on the number nine legend hasn’t got a regular goalscorer at this level. It’s a heavy shirt to wear and I don’t know who can do it.”
Newcastle have had some brilliant strikers over the years in the shape of Cole, Les Ferdinand, Peter Beardsley and Alan Shearer.
The club’s supporters will hope that some of the current crop can return the same sort of strike records and keep them in the top flight
OPINION
Newcastle have had some brilliant strikers over the years leading the way as cult heroes, but that is not the case right now. Gayle has always been prolific at Championship level, but struggles to make the step up to the top flight and replicate the same form. Meanwhile, Mitrovic and Joselu are unlikely to deliver on 15-plus league goals a season despite their hard work in attack. Benitez was desperately crying out for a world-class striker in the summer and it could come back to bite them that they missed out.