OPINION
Ayoze Perez’s performance alongside Yoshinori Muto in Newcastle United’s defeat to Manchester United before the international break had appeared to herald a return to form for the Spaniard.
However, that proved not to be the case as the forward returned to type with a woeful display in the team’s 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
The 25-year-old, on a reported £45,000-per-week at St James’ Park [Source: Spotrac], has been below par for some time and his Brighton performance was the latest in a string of disappointing displays.
Perez cannot continue to simply be a spare part in the Magpies attack. He offers very little going forward and isn’t physical enough to succeed in the Premier League.
The Chronicle reported that Salomon Rondon could be back from injury for the team’s visit to Southampton on Saturday, and the Venezuelan must return to the startling line up at Perez’s expense.
Muto played extremely well in the 3-2 defeat to United but, like Perez, took a sharp nosedive against the Seagulls. However, the Japan international’s showing against the Red Devils should give him enough goodwill to start against Mark Hughes’s side next time out.
Indeed, the former Mainz man should play a bit deeper, operating in the role Perez has inhabited so far this season. Rondon can then take the centre forward position and (hopefully) profit on the multitude of crosses that will, if the Brighton game was any indication, fly into the Southampton box with regularity on Saturday.
This isn’t to say that Rondon has looked so good for Newcastle that he is desperately needed back in the starting eleven, merely that Perez has been so bad that to continue to start him would be tantamount to insanity.
Rafael Benitez is incredibly loyal to his players, sometimes to a fault, but he needs to look at Perez’s performances objectively.
The Spaniard hasn’t been good enough and his time is up. Benitez needs to wield the axe because he cannot continue to reward Perez’s mediocrity with continued starts.
