Seb Stafford-Bloor thinks that Newcastle United’s season will come down to the fitness of their key attacking players.
Newcastle United are heading into a crucial spell in their season as they look to keep their distance away from the bottom of the Premier League table, and to do that they’re going to need all hands on deck.
Head coach Steve Bruce, in his pre-match press conference (via The Shields Gazette), was able to provide positive updates when it comes to the fitness of Callum Wilson, Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron, as he thinks he’ll be able to get them back following the upcoming international break.
And speaking on the Football Writers podcast, Stafford-Bloor felt that so long as they could get their attacking options back and keep them healthy between now and the end of the season, that they stood a good chance of picking up enough points to stay in the division.
He said: “I think the big question for Newcastle is when is Callum Wilson back, when is Almiron back, can they keep Saint-Maximum fit eventually? Because that changes the picture a little bit. No matter what their deficiencies are elsewhere on the pitch, you put those three players into the starting lineup and you’ve got a puncher’s chance against most teams.”
Do you think Newcastle are prepared for relegation?
No, not a chance
Yes, we have to be this time
TIF Thoughts on Seb Stafford-Bloor’s comments about Newcastle United’s chance of survival…
Stafford-Bloor’s comments are backed up by the numbers, as Wilson, with 10 goals, and Almiron with five, sit as the Toon’s top two goalscorers this season.
Any club that has to go a period of time without their top forwards are likely going to struggle, and when the goals aren’t being made up for elsewhere with players like Joelinton, their absences are going to be felt even more. So unless the other players start pulling their weight, then it really is going to be all down to those lot to give them that ‘puncher’s chance’.