After losing Rafa Benitez and some key players, Newcastle fans might have been expecting the worst in their pre-season friendly against Wolves on Wednesday and their fears were realised after a 4-0 hammering.
Wolves were the surprise package in the Premier League last season, finishing in an impressive seventh place behind Man United, and they like they’re going to be a threat again next season.
They were ruthless on Wednesday at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre and dismantled a sorry Newcastle side.
Newcastle weren’t good at the back and made a number of defensive mistakes, but Yoshinori Muto provided the proof that new signings are needed up top after the loss of last season’s top scorers Ayoze Perez and Salamon Rondon.
Muto never threatened Wolves and was withdrawn in the 63rd minute, and he’ll need to prove he can do much better than this if he wants a regular place in the first team next season.
This is what the Newcastle fans were saying about him:
Leave Muto in China
— Elliot (@Zurrbs) July 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/1colly/status/1151448145030799360
The need for a new forward has been amplified as well. Yoshinori Muto has been non-existent. #NUFC
— Sean McCormick (@S_McCormick95) July 17, 2019
Newcastle United already 3-0 down against Wolves. Muto up front looks shocking! ?
— DiscoDan (@DiscoDan18) July 17, 2019
Forgotten all about muto. Poor bloke.
At this point, it's about getting playing time so I wouldn't read too much into formations. Depends on personnel as much as anything, and who's fit.Once Bruce gets in, it'll be 10-0-0 anyway (formation, not scoreline. Hopefully.)
— Rich Harle (@RJHarle) July 17, 2019
Newcastle fans weren’t impressed with Muto at all today with one fan saying he’d forgotten he still played for them. Since his move from Mainz for almost £10m last summer, he’s only scored one goal in 18 appearances and he didn’t look like doubling his tally today.
One fan offered him support of sorts by saying a 5’8″ striker was never going to look good when his teammates were just lobbing long balls towards him. (Muto is actually 5’10” but the point remains.)
Sorensen doing more there in 30 seconds than Muto over 60 minutes. Give him the number 9 shirt now and be done with it #NUFC
— Dean Johnson (@DeanJohnson32) July 17, 2019
Sorensen just showed how much better he is then muto in one minute
— Rohan (@gulliver_rohan) July 17, 2019
Sorensen already showing he's twice the player Muto is… #NUFC
— Ronnie S. ? (@DonRon11) July 17, 2019
It wasn’t all bad news though. Newcastle fans were rather more impressed with Under-23 striker Elias Sorensen, who came on for Muto and showed his attacking intent straight away. One fan said Newcastle should “give him the number 9 shirt now and be done with it”.
Overall though, it was a worrying sign of things to come for Newcastle with just 22 days left before the transfer window shuts ahead of their first game of the season against Arsenal.