Anthony Elanga and the early critics
Anthony Elanga was the first signing made during the summer, as Eddie Howe finally made the right-wing signing that supporters have been clamouring for since the takeover.
The Swedish international was a long-term target for the club. Last summer, he was spoken about during the talks over Elliot Anderson’s transfer to Nottingham Forest.
Since the appointment of Howe, the club have often gone back for long term targets and many of them have then been successful St James’ Park. Elanga hasn’t benefitted from a quick start to life on Tyneside and he has started to face criticism for his performances.
There has to be some nuance to the discussion, despite the two extremes dominating the social media debate. There is a section of the support that are already writing off Elanga as a signing and suggesting that he isn’t a good tactical fit for the team. Meanwhile, others are suggesting he needs time to adjust and it is far too soon to criticise him.
That is true to a point, but the general lack of impact is a concern. Elanga has now played ten matches across all competitions, six of which have come as a starter and he hasn’t registered a single goal or assist.
In hindsight, the chance he got in the first five minutes against Aston Villa on the opening day looks like a sliding doors moment. Elanga is a player crying out for confidence and it is hoped that one goal involvement will lead to plenty more. At 23, he is young and he will be prone to inconsistent form. Confidence is huge at that age.
Last season, he showed that he can be a consistent threat in the Premier League. Elanga contributed six goals and 11 assists for Nottingham Forest, helping them to European qualification. Eddie Howe will be hoping that he can deliver a similar return in the black and white this season.
At the moment, his touch isn’t quite right and he isn’t clicking in the Newcastle attack. A period of adaptation is expected for any player, but even the fans with a positive outlook would have expected to see a little more from Elanga.
The Swedish international is averaging 0.17 expected goals (xG) and 0.12 expected assists (xA) per ninety minutes. To provide some context, this is a drop off from his numbers at Forest, but not as stark as you would expect given the differences in outcome. Last season, Elanga averaged 0.16 xG and 0.20 xA per ninety minutes.
Howe will have hoped that his underlying metrics will improve over the course of this season. Elanga is now playing in a superior attack and one that is more front-foot in their approach. This coupled with the natural improvement that comes with young players is why Elanga was signed.
The manager won’t be writing him off yet and will understand that it can take some new signings longer to adapt. Anthony Gordon took half a season before we saw his best football. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento didn’t break into the team instantly.
Elanga’s price tag and his form with Forest last season understandably increased expectations, but the right winger needs patience. He will know more than anyone that he can be better and he will need to be if he is to nail down a regular starting position.
Fortunately for us and Howe, we have a capable right winger to step in and ease the pressure on Elanga. Jacob Murphy got 20 goal contributions last season and he has already shown signs that he can have another good season. He has two assists already across all competitions and came close to adding a third at the weekend. The delivery for Malick Thiaw’s chance was incredible and only a great save by Matz Sels denied him.
Any new signing will come under scrutiny. It is difficult to fully believe in a player until you’ve seen them do it in your colours. That’s natural. However, it is early in Elanga’s career and he is still young. Once he gets his first goal and assist, more will follow.
