Chronicle Live reporter Lee Ryder has suggested that he believes Ryan Fraser’s lack of an impact at St James’ Park since his summer move could be down to him not being happy at Newcastle.
Fraser was among the group of signings made by Newcastle last summer of players with previous Premier League experience, with the winger joining Callum Wilson in swapping relegated Bournemouth for the Magpies on a free transfer. The Scotland international had come under fire for not playing on in the final matches of the 2019/20 season for the Cherries as he wanted to avoid injury ahead of a potential move.
The 26-year-old was not at his best last term for Bournemouth, scoring just one goal, but he still had five goal involvements in 28 Premier League appearances (Sofascore). The winger has suffered from some injury issues at St James’ Park, but he has struggled when he has played, with no goals and just one assist in 14 league matches so far. He came off the bench at Old Trafford on Sunday and had just eight touches of the ball in 35 minutes on the pitch.
Speaking on a recent Everything is Black and White podcast [via @ChronicleNUFC on Twitter], Ryder suggested that he thinks the reason why Newcastle have not seen the best from Fraser is because he might currently be unhappy at St James’ Park. He believes that the 26-year-old is a player who needs to be feeling content with his situation to perform to his maximum level.
Ryder said: “We are not seeing the Ryan Fraser which we saw at Bournemouth, and we know with him it could be a situation where if he’s not happy, he’s not performing and that is what it looks like at the minute.”
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This is a pretty damning assessment of Fraser’s situation if Ryder’s assessment is accurate. The winger missed the run-in for Bournemouth last season so that he could prepare for his switch to St James’ Park, not something he would have done lightly, so that suggests he went into the season with a real ambition to perform well for his new club.
However, the 26-year-old has looked a shadow of the player who fired in seven goals and supplied 14 assists for Bournemouth in the 2018/19 campaign (Sofascore), even being linked with a move to Arsenal at one stage. Under Eddie Howe at the Cherries, he was one of the first names on the teamsheet and often excelled in a bright attacking formation with the freedom to express himself.
That is the opposite of what he has shown for Newcastle. He has averaged just 0.4 shots and 0.1 successful dribbles per game in the league this term (Sofascore). That shows just how much he has struggled in Bruce’s more negative approach.
If indeed Fraser is unhappy, then the manager must find a way to win him back around, because he has the ability which the Magpies desperately need to harness given their precarious league position.
