By Johnny Vintis
With the departure of Matt Ritchie to Stoke looking very possible, we have looked at the Premier League stats between him and his proposed replacement, Andros Townsend.
I know there is a lot of animosity around Townsend and the way he left the club but who is statistically the best?
MATT RITCHIE
Ritchie did exceptionally well for Bournemouth in the Championship when they were promoted, and played 1 season in the Premier League, but for some reason they sold him to us (in the Championship). He was exceptional for us in the Championship and was a vital part of our promotion.
But we’re not in the Championship any more and my focus is on his Newcastle Premier League statistics. Yes he has excellent work rate, something that we LOVE at Newcastle – but how effective was he? How many games did he make an impact in?
NUFC PL Games Goals Assists
35 3 5
Ritchie has a goals to game ratio of 8.6% and an assist ratio of 14.2%
ANDROS TOWNSEND
Unfortunately for Townsend he left under a cloud and it left a bitter taste. But no one can deny that he was a very good player for us in such a short space of time.
Again I want to look at the stats with NUFC in the Premier League and specifically both played under Rafa. Townsend is also 2 years younger than Ritchie – something to consider. He has had an indifferent time since leaving us, scoring 5 with 11 assists in 72 games – not the greatest, but not the worst.
NUFC PL Games Goals Assists
13 4 2
Townsend has a goals to game ratio of 30.8% and an assist ratio of 15.4%
Summary:
We are still torn, both players have more to offer and have been great for us.
For me though, it has to be Townsend. He has the PL experience we need, he flourished under Rafa and while we might describe his decision to leave as a bad one, at least he was ambitious. He is also 26 so there is a little more to come from him. Rafa seems to rate him highly and I trust that.
Ritchie is up for his 3rd spell in the Championship with his 3rd team. Why is that? Also, i feel he went missing for too many games last season – when we really needed him. Yes he scored some important goals for us and wore his heart on his sleeve, but Townsend just pips it.
If Ritchie actually wants to leave then I think Townsend is the ideal replacement.
That said, having both would be the best solution!
What do you think? Do the stats really matter?
