Rob Lee has urged Newcastle United to sign a striker to ease the burden on Callum Wilson. Last season, the Magpies’ number nine finished as top goalscorer - with eight - despite missing 20 Premier League games due to injury.
Alarmingly, Wilson has missed 32 top-flight games - almost an entire campaign - since arriving from Bournemouth two years ago. Few Toon supporters discredit the 30-year-old’s ability to score goals but concerns remain over his injury record.
Chris Wood is the only other first-team striker on the books, leaving Eddie Howe short of attacking options. It is no secret that those in power at St James’ Park are busting the gut to bolster the frontline.
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Former Newcastle midfielder Lee applauded the defensive stability shown during the back end of 2021-22 but shares fans’ concern over the lack of firepower. Speaking to SkyBet, the 56-year-old reminisced over the options United boasted during the “Entertainers” era.
“When you’re struggling, first and foremost you have to stop conceding goals, which is what he did,” Lee said. “We didn’t score many and we still don’t score as many as we used to.
“When Callum Wilson is missing, we struggle. But we don’t let many in. That was a big factor in us staying up.
“We always used to have people who scored goals: Shearer, Beardsley, Cole, Asprilla, Ginola, and were always known as an attacking team - we had the entertainers tag.
“It’s slightly different now because Eddie’s shored us up at the back. But now, we need players that can score goals. We can’t rely on Callum Wilson constantly. He missed half the season last year and was still our top scorer.”
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