OPINION
Iron sharpens iron, and without sufficient competition for starting places footballers can become lazy and underperform as a result.
That is something that Newcastle United cannot afford. They do not have a talented enough squad for players to coast along, and so fierce competition is a must.
That is what the Magpies are seeing up front between Joselu and Salomon Rondon, according to club great Mick Quinn: “I think the arrival of Salomon Rondon has fired Joselu up a bit, which is great to see,” he told the Chronicle. “The Spaniard’s got two goals already this season and just looks a bit more hungry.
“Rondon did well at times against Man City, showing little patches of what he can do, and he’s the one I would always start with but it’s good to see the effect he’s had on Joselu,”
Quinn is right, 28-year-old Joselu has already looked far more of a threat than he ever did last season. That’s because he knows that his place in the team isn’t guaranteed, which was demonstrated by Rafael Benitez going out and getting Rondon on loan this summer.
The pair have Rondon’s fellow new arrival Yoshinori Muto to worry about as well. If there’s any drop in quality from Joselu or £60,000-per-week man Rondon [Source: Spotrac] then the Japan international is ready and willing to step in.
Benitez needs more of that from other position groups on the pitch. The full backs, for example, essentially pick themselves at this moment in time.
DeAndre Yedlin is clearly ahead of Javi Manquillo in the pecking order at right back, while Paul Dummett’s only competition for a slot on the left is a man in Achraaf Lazaar who didn’t even receive a squad number.
In central midfield, too, it is too easy for the current incumbents to rest on their laurels. With Jonjo Shelvey out injured at the start of this campaign, Mohamed Diame and Sung-Yeung Ki have basically been guaranteed starters in the Premier League.
Matt Ritchie and Isaac Hayden are the other options in that position, but Ritchie might be used out wide while Hayden is clearly not fancied after an unsettling summer.
There is competition for places on the wings, but simply not the production. Kenedy has started the season poorly, while none of Jacob Murphy, Christian Atsu or Ayoze Perez have made an impact as of yet.
The January transfer window is an opportunity for Benitez, if he is allowed, to bring in some fresh blood and cultivate more of a competitive spirit in this Magpies squad.
Managers always go on about competition for places, but Newcastle might not have as much as they need. January is an opportunity for them to fix that issue.
