Newcastle United have gotten off to a decent start in the ongoing Premier League campaign so far. Placed 11th in the standings, the Magpies have notched up 22 points in 16 games.
The fact that they are merely 2 points behind fifth-placed Manchester United speaks volumes of their progress this season. In addition, they’ve also managed some well-deserved wins over the Red Devils and Tottenham Hotspur.
On paper, they seem to be doing great and Steve Bruce has certainly brought about some necessary changes. However, there is one glaring deficiency in the squad that needs to be addressed at the earliest.
The Tyneside-based outfit has scored merely 17 goals in 16 league games, which speaks volumes of their lack of firepower in that area. And with the January transfer window fast approaching, Bruce and co must dip into the market for a new striker.
Despite shelling out a fee in the region of £40m, summer signing Joelinton has flopped badly. He has scored merely one goal in the league since the beginning of the season and it is pretty evident that Newcastle lack a key ingredient that’s necessary to win games – a steady source of goals from the striker. The options at their disposal have been extremely shoddy in front of the goal and the results are there for all to see.
If their attackers were firing on all cylinders, the Magpies would’ve been capable of scaling greater heights in the Premier League this season.
Luckily, they have managed to keep their defence pretty tight, conceding 23 goals so far. But considering the fierce competition in the English top-tier this time around, Newcastle have managed quite well. Under Bruce’s guidance, the Magpies certainly look more organized and structured as far as their gameplay is concerned.
All said and done, it is clear that the presence of a new striker is of paramount importance for Newcastle. On the whole, their performances have improved massively when compared to last season. Thus, signing a proven striker in January would propel Bruce and his men even further.