Former England midfielder Danny Murphy has suggested that the injury suffered to Callum Wilson and the lack of quality Newcastle have to replace him could leave them vulnerable to a resurgent Fulham in the relegation battle.
The Magpies have seen their position in the Premier League table go from comfortable to uneasy in recent weeks as their 2-0 loss against Chelsea on Monday was their ninth defeat in 13 matches and leaves them in 17th place just seven points clear of Fulham, who have a game in hand.
Also, Wilson’s injury deprives them of their 10-goal top scorer, with nobody else in the squad netting more than five goals all season (Transfermarkt).
Steve Bruce opted to go with Dwight Gayle in place of Wilson from the start against Chelsea, but the 30-year-old was unsuited to the role that the former Bournemouth man has been playing to good effect over the last few weeks. It was only Gayle’s first league start of the season (Sofascore), but it did seem like a tweak in system might be needed to accommodate him, or else other players will have to start instead.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Murphy suggested that, without Wilson, Newcastle lack enough quality in the final third, while he also believes that Fulham might have found a reliable scorer at just the right time in reference to deadline day arrival Josh Maja. He also thinks that the Magpies could start to panic if they see their relegation rivals pick up a couple of wins in their next few matches, saying:
In isolation, this particular game against Chelsea wouldn’t worry me so much. But the lack of quality that Newcastle don’t have in the attacking areas, especially when Wilson’s not there is the biggest worry.
Whereas you look at Fulham, who are trying to chase them down. They seem to be playing with more confidence and now have found a guy who they hope can get the goals. So if he can great it gives Fulham a fighting chance, they’ve got three big games coming up and Newcastle will then feel the pressure.
If Fulham in their next three games can win two of them against teams around them, then Newcastle will start having a little panic. But right now their still in a reasonably comfortable position because there is a big gap, but Wilson is a big blow for them.
Read Newcastle verdict
Murphy’s comments could be reflected in the thoughts of many Newcastle supporters. Worryingly, the only people who do not seem overly concerned with the shortening proximity to the relegation zone are the players, coaching staff and Mike Ashley. Bruce stated after the Chelsea game that they would be OK, but it is difficult to see exactly what the basis is for that assumption.
At the moment, Fulham are looking a much more in-form team than the Magpies, steadily gathering points over the last couple of months to heighten their chances of top-flight survival.
As Murphy suggests, Newcastle did not pose any real threat in the final third against Chelsea without Wilson, although they were up against one of the form teams in the league at the moment. It will therefore be better to reserve definitive judgment until they have played against lower-ranked opponents, but Murphy’s fears for their top-flight status are not unfounded.
