Anthony Elanga has finally arrived. The £55m signing from Nottingham Forest scored in both of Newcastle United’s opening Premier League fixtures this season, against Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. That early return has transformed the conversation around the Anthony Elanga Newcastle United switch. Former Magpies winger Chris Waddle believes it arrived just in time.
Speaking to Chronicle Live, Waddle gave a frank assessment of Elanga’s situation. He explained how close the winger came to an uncertain future on Tyneside had his form not turned around so quickly under Matthias Jaissle, in Chris Waddle’s comments to Chronicle Live.
How Anthony Elanga Turnaround Rewrote His St James’ Park Story
Elanga’s first season at St James’ Park was a difficult one. Most supporters would admit as much. A big-money arrival from the City Ground carries expectation, and the winger’s early struggles led to speculation about his long-term place in the squad.
Waddle, never one to soften his words, made clear that Elanga’s slow start had left the door open for a different outcome entirely.
“I think we had high hopes of signing Anthony Elanga, as he did well at Forest. He played in a different type of system at Forest, though, with them being more counter-attacking, whereas Newcastle press high, win the ball back and the crowd drive them up the field. I think he found that style of play hard, obviously moving and settling in at a new place. He just lost a little bit of confidence, I thought, and that season just passed him by, let’s be honest.
“Whether he feels settled now with other players leaving, he’s become an important figure at the club, especially with the quality of those who left. So it’s nice to see him hit the ground running because, if he’d started the season badly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they’d tried to move him on. He has put last season behind him. It wasn’t a great season for him, let’s say that. So far, he has hit the ground running and does look full of confidence. Let’s hope he’s back on the team after the break.”
That last line matters. Waddle is offering his own reading of how things might have gone. Not a statement of club policy. Even so, it shows how significant Elanga’s opening weeks have been.
Why the £55m Winger Struggled with the Tactical Transition
Waddle’s explanation for Elanga’s sluggish first year centres on a tactical mismatch. At Forest, Elanga thrived in a counter-attacking, low-block system built around pace in transition. Newcastle ask something very different of their wide players.
Under Matthias Jaissle, as under the previous regime, Newcastle press aggressively and look to win the ball back high up the pitch. St James’ Park’s crowd pushes the team forward with them. That is a demanding adjustment for any winger raised in a deeper, more reactive setup.
Waddle put it simply. Elanga found that style of play hard. The switch in demands coincided with him settling into a new city and a new dressing room. Confidence, he suggested, was the first casualty. Once that dipped, last season “just passed him by”.
It is a pattern seen before with big transfers who move between contrasting systems. The technical qualities do not disappear. But the timing, positioning and decision-making that come naturally in one system have to be relearnt in another. For Elanga, that relearning has taken the best part of a year.
Evaluating Elanga’s Early Season Impact and Current Competition
Two goals in two league games is about as strong a start as Elanga could have asked for. Strikes against Liverpool and Tottenham announced a player who now looks comfortable with the pressing demands that troubled him a year ago. Waddle’s view that he “does look full of confidence” reflects what supporters have seen on the pitch.
That momentum has been interrupted by injury, which has kept Elanga out of Newcastle’s most recent matches, including the fixture covered in our earlier report. His absence has come with a reminder of the competition he faces for a starting wide spot.
Harvey Barnes, 28, has scored three goals this season. One came in Newcastle’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. That form means Jaissle has a genuine selection dilemma once Elanga is fit again, rather than an automatic recall waiting for him.
What Elanga’s Return Means for Matthias Jaissle’s Forward Line
Jaissle’s attacking options look healthier for having two wide players in form rather than one carrying the team alone. Barnes’ recent goals give Newcastle a genuine alternative on the flank. That competition should sharpen both players rather than unsettle either of them.
How Jaissle balances that competition, and where Elanga fits once he returns from injury, will say a lot about the head coach’s broader plans. That subject is explored further in Matthias Jaissle’s tactical options.
Waddle’s wider comments on the club’s summer business, including his take on the arrivals brought in to strengthen the squad, are covered in Waddle’s assessment of Newcastle squad additions. Taken together, his remarks paint a picture of a squad in transition, where players who settle quickly, like Elanga now appears to have done, become increasingly valuable.
For now, the Anthony Elanga Newcastle United story reads as one of resilience rewarded. A tough debut season could easily have ended differently. Instead, a fast start has turned doubt into genuine competition for places. That is exactly the position Jaissle wants his squad in.
