Plenty of Newcastle supporters have reacted to calls from Chronicle Live reporter Lee Ryder for Andy Carroll to be restored to the team’s starting line-up.
The Magpies are having to find an alternative way of getting goals without Callum Wilson, who is sideline for several weeks through injury. Allan Saint-Maximin got on the scoresheet in Sunday’s defeat at Manchester United, but that was just his second league goal of the campaign. For most of that game, Steve Bruce’s side lacked a natural goalscoring presence upfront.
Dwight Gayle was tried in the defeat at Chelsea, while Joelinton was brought back into the starting line-up against Manchester United. The Brazilian came off with a back injury in the second half and, while he worked hard and tried to make things happen, his lack of natural scoring instincts were laid bare when he failed to get into the box on a few occasions.
Carroll has not started for the Magpies since the 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa last month and that was only his fourth league start of the campaign (Sofascore). The 32-year-old has just one goal in his 14 league appearances this season, and that was nothing more than a consolation striker in the defeat against Leicester at St James’ Park. By and large, he not really done anything of note since re-joining the club in 2019, scoring just once in 39 games in that time.
However, speaking on the latest Everything is Black and White podcast [via @ChronicleNUFC on Twitter], Ryder suggested that Carroll has the battling qualities and is the sort of ‘fighter’ the Magpies need at the moment in their fight against relegation.
Newcastle fans react to Ryder’s Carroll comments
Many Newcastle fans do not think that Carroll is the answer, believing that he has not shown anywhere near enough to justify getting another chance. However, some were more inclined to agree with Ryder that it might to be time to give him one last chance to prove his worth.
