Darren Gough claimed that Newcastle United attacker Joelinton appeared to not be a patch on former Magpies forward Salomon Rondon.
The retired cricketer shared that if he was being honest, Joelinton didn’t look as good as Rondon and claimed the former Newcastle star would have made a big difference if he was still at the club.
Gough then added that with Joelinton playing up the top on his own chasing balls it’s not going to work for him and he then proceeded to moan about the big gap left between Miguel Almiron and the Brazilian during matches.
“He looks like he (Steve Bruce) has got a striker (Joelinton) who is not a patch on the one if we’re gonna be honest they previously had, Rondon would have made a big difference,” said Gough on talkSPORT (18:08, Tuesday, August 20th).
“There’s too big a gap between him and Almiron, we talk about him being a positive influence for Newcastle…but when you got a massive guy like that stuck up on his own, trying to chase balls, it’s not going to work.
“Erm and obviously the other signings have not had a great start, one is injured even ready.”
OPINION
Two games in and everyone seems ready to write Joelinton off. The 23-year-old forward joined from Hoffenheim in the summer after scoring 11 goals in 36 outings for the Bundesliga club, and he is going to take time to settle. Joelinton is still coming to terms with the Premier League and it’s way too harsh to question his ability after just two league games. The 23-year-old showed glimpses of his ability in the 1-0 defeat against Arsenal, as he managed two dribbles, one saw him bamboozle two defenders, and managed to create enough space to have three shots on goal (Source: WhoScored). Considering that Arsenal are likely to be top-six contenders again in the league, being able to impress slightly against them on your Premier League debut is promising. As for his display in the 3-1 defeat to Norwich City on Saturday, there’s no denying he could do better. The Magpies forward did fail to convert an easy chance with his head and did average a rating of just 5.94 before being subbed, but you’ll struggle to find a player who did do well for Steve Bruce’s side against the Canaries. Also bringing up Rondon isn’t helping anyone. The Venezuelan forward may have scored 11 league goals for Newcastle last season to weave into supporters hearts, but he isn’t coming back anytime soon after joining DL Yifan, so everyone needs to move on.
