Newcastle’s “explosive” star once looked like Shearer, now he needs to go

Newcastle United’s start to the 2025/26 Premier League season has been one of promise mixed with frustration.

Eddie Howe’s side opened with a cagey 0-0 draw against Aston Villa, a match in which they dominated large periods but lacked a cutting edge.

Their second fixture produced drama at St James’ Park.

Coming from 2-0 down against Liverpool, Newcastle looked set to have completed the comeback before Rio Ngumoha’s 100th-minute strike condemned them to a 3-2 defeat.

The pattern continued away at Leeds, another 0-0 stalemate where chances were few.

It wasn’t until the fourth game that Newcastle finally claimed three points, grinding out a laboured 1-0 home victory over Wolves.

That was followed by another goalless encounter, this time away at Bournemouth – a match that underlined both Howe’s tactical experiments and the team’s ongoing attacking malaise.

In those two goalless games against Leeds and Bournemouth, Howe trialled different variations of a back three.

Yet, the results suggest the system still requires tweaking, with Newcastle struggling for rhythm in possession and fluency in the final third.

Newcastle stifled by the system against Bournemouth

Against Bournemouth, Howe’s team took to the field in a 3-4-2-1, aiming to nullify the hosts’ high-pressing 4-2-3-1.

Nick Woltemade, the record signing, led the line.

The German forward showed neat touches and even had a penalty appeal waved away, but he still appeared to be adjusting to the physical demands of English football.

In midfield, Howe rotated heavily. Lewis Miley and Joe Willock replaced Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton, but neither was able to stamp authority on proceedings.

Newcastle’s lack of thrust was reflected in the numbers: just 0.14 expected goals (xG) compared to Bournemouth’s 0.46.

Defensively, there were nervy moments.

Tino Livramento was caught at the back post, allowing David Brooks to score what looked like the opening goal before it was ruled out for offside.

Malick Thiaw also rode his luck, avoiding what could have been a second-half red card.

The raw statistics painted a bleak picture for Newcastle: 4 shots to Bournemouth’s 11 and 390 completed passes to the Cherries’ 498.

One positive came in the form of Lewis Hall, who looked composed on his return to the starting XI after a lengthy injury layoff.

The former Chelsea man provided balance on the left flank and showed glimpses of the technical security Newcastle have been missing in recent weeks. The same can’t be said of one of his teammates, however…

Bournemouth draw the latest example of Willock’s decline

Amid Newcastle’s struggles, the spotlight inevitably fell on Joe Willock.

The midfielder was handed his first league start of the season at Bournemouth, but his subdued display was another reminder of how far his career has drifted from the explosive start he made at St James’ Park.

Willock first arrived on loan from Arsenal in February 2021, tasked with helping Steve Bruce’s side escape relegation.

He wasted no time, scoring on his debut in a 3-2 win over Southampton before embarking on a remarkable run of goals in seven consecutive matches – equalling Alan Shearer’s long-standing record from 1996.

By the end of that season, Willock had eight goals in 14 games, second only to Callum Wilson despite arriving mid-season.

Bruce urged the board to make the move permanent, and in the summer, Newcastle obliged with a £25m deal.

Willock went on to contribute significantly in Howe’s first full campaign, helping Newcastle secure a fourth-place finish and a return to the Champions League.

But since then, injuries have derailed his progress.

He missed 38 matches in 2023/24 and another seven last season, with one content creator on X remarking that the “explosive bursts of pace” once central to his game have all but disappeared.

The Bournemouth match showed the scale of his struggles.

In the 62 minutes before being replaced by Harvey Barnes, Willock registered no shots, 32 touches, and just 12 successful passes from 15 attempts (80%), as per Sofascore.

Defensively, he was combative, winning six of nine ground duels, but he lost both of his aerial contests and offered little drive going forward.

His match rating of 6.8 reflected an industrious but uninspiring performance.

For a player once hailed as Newcastle’s answer to Shearer in terms of clutch goalscoring, his trajectory has become symbolic of the team’s own attacking issues.

Howe will hope that minutes in the upcoming League Cup clash against Bradford can help Willock rediscover some rhythm, but at present, he looks far from the dynamic midfielder who carried Newcastle to safety just four years ago.