Former Newcastle star Rob Lee has taken aim at the Magpies’ midfielders – as opposed to their strikers – for the club’s woes in front of goal this season.
The Magpies have managed to score just 28 goals in 29 games, representing one of the worst offensive records in the division.
Summer signing Callum Wilson has shouldered much of the goalscoring burden for his side with a club-leading 10 strikes to his record this season.
Consequentially, Lee has demanded more from his former club: “We have midfield players that don’t score goals,” the former Newcastle player told Football FanCast.
“That’s got to be addressed. They have to chip in, you have to chip in with goals. We’ve got wingers who don’t score, so where are we going to go? At the moment, [Jamaal] Lascelles scores our goals.”
There is certainly a credible rationale behind lamenting the lack of goals from the midfielders, but the picture presented by Lee is not so clear cut.
Miguel Almiron has chipped in with four goals on his own, though Jonjo Shelvey and Jeff Hendrick have failed to match that effort with just three goals between the pair.
That equally fails to even touch upon the fact that club-record signing Joelinton has managed to find the back of the net just twice this season – a damning feat considering the £40 million price tag that was attached to the ex-Hoffenheim striker.
It’s not just a case that the midfielders aren’t scoring that is worrying, but a general over-reliance on Callum Wilson as a talismanic forward.
Recent injury has hampered the England international, and Newcastle’s decline in form is a tell-tale indicator that Newcastle cannot progress without his contributions.
It is a gaping wound in Newcastle’s squad that needs addressing.
In other news: Ex-Magpies man laments links to ageing defender