Steve Bruce has put a worrying amount of faith in Newcastle United’s underperforming strikers, by claiming there were no better alternatives to sign during the January window.
The Toon were linked with potential moves for a handful of strikers throughout the winter market, with reports suggesting FC Porto’s Vincent Aboubakar was a Deadline Day option after potential deals for Paco Alcacer and Olivier Giroud fell through.
Bruce, though, did not want to appear to be panicking in the mid-season window and rushing to sign anyone just because he could, and eventually opted to progress with Joelinton, Andy Carroll, Dwight Gayle and Yoshinori Muto as his recognised centre-forwards.
The boss has now noted why he felt that was the best course of action, despite everyone on Tyneside still waiting to see a second Premier League goal come from the aforementioned quartet.
“In January, everybody was clambering for a striker,” Bruce told the Chronicle. “And we were the same.
“It was: ‘Can we find somebody for the top end of the pitch?’ [but] we could not get it.
“Of course, we could have got a body in but it doesn’t improve you.
“We have that little bit of time now and get comfortable and look forward to the summer and try to get the right things.”
Did Bruce make a mistake not signing a ST in January?
Yes
No
Bruce stating categorically that he did not feel there were any attacking options available to sign in January that were better than Joelinton, Carroll, Gayle or Muto is extremely worrying.
Only midfielder Miguel Almiron (43) has taken more shots in the top-flight this term than Joelinton (42) after 29 games but of the Brazilian’s efforts, only 12 have been on target and one has resulted in a goal, per WhoScored data.
Carroll has taken the team’s 10th-most efforts (11) but with just two on target, while Gayle has directed four of his 11 on goal and Muto has just the one shot to his name, which was off target, as all three wait for their maiden hit of the season.
Carroll is the only one of the three without a goal to have at least been involved in the scoring more than once, with the 31-year-old recorded as having made the team’s most with three assists – Joelinton has assisted two, Gayle one.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Aston Villa signed Mbwana Samatta from KRC Genk for £8.5million in January and the Tanzania international has since scored once in four top-flight outings since.
Manchester United also signed Odion Ighalo on loan, and the Nigerian has found the back of the net twice in the FA Cup and twice in the Europa League, though has thus far failed to score in the league during 30 minutes as a substitute.
In other Newcastle United news, the club have been backed to reject the chance to sign a €10m man this summer.