The season has now ended and Newcastle United achieved an 11th placed finish. It was a season of two halves, but it has been an incredible ride after the takeover was finally confirmed. Many feared it would be too late to save us, but the January transfer window and the appointment of Eddie Howe put us on the right path.
There will be excitement about what is to come next and the coming months will be interesting to follow in the transfer market. Below, we discuss three interesting stats from the win over Burnley:
Sean Longstaff – 22 pressures and 5 tackles
Another player who has been playing for his future is Sean Longstaff, who signed a new deal at the club just a few days after our win over Burnley on the final day of 2021/22.
Like Wilson, Longstaff has had a good final week of the season and he has shown that he can play for Howe’s Newcastle team.
One of his best attributes is his work rate off the ball. He made 22 pressures on Sunday, more than any other Newcastle player.
Further to this, he made five tackles. Again, more than any other Newcastle player.
Callum Wilson – 1.4 expected goals (xG)
It’s been a brilliant week or two for Callum Wilson, as he reminded the world of his qualities ahead of the transfer window. Although some didn’t want to see him risked, it was important for the forward to build some confidence and put his marker down to start next season.
He has achieved that with two very good, yet different displays. The Arsenal game showed his ability to bully the opposition defence and set the agenda with his defensive contribution.
Against Burnley, we were reminded of his composure in front of goal, as he scored twice and achieved a total xG of 1.4.
The second goal showed his ability to get between the posts and cause a threat with his movement. Allan Saint-Maximin has missed Wilson a lot. It wasn’t a surprise to see them combine.
Miguel Almiron – 96.7% pass accuracy and six progressive passes
One player that has split the fan-base this season has been Miguel Almiron. As an attacker, his number of goals and assists hasn’t been enough. However, his ability to work hard out of possession and get in behind defences does mean he offers value.
At Turf Moor, he showed his composure on the ball and ability to play passes between the lines. He completed 29 of his 30 passes with a success rate of 96.7%.
Further to this, he made six progressive passes, more than any other Newcastle player. It remains to be seen if he has a role to play next season, but he showed some of his qualities last Sunday.
My 16 year old granddaughter took great pleasure telling me that she made 100,000 dollars yesterday, dined with a president and got married.
I have become used to these monstrous achievements, and in response I just look her in the eye and say “In a game”. She says “Yes, in a game”.
Her gaming achievements are pretty much on a par with the statistics you are talking about. Yes they sound very grand but they don’t actually mean anything.
I watched the Liverpool Real Madrid match last night. At one point in the first half the commentator said “look at those stats – Liverpool have had 8 shots, 5 on target and Madrid have none!” And we all know how that turned out.
None of these stats actually means anything. You don’t get points for them and they don’t guarantee a result, so what is the fascination with them?
The fact that Madrid scored one more goal than the dippers decided the result, and nobody got anything for expected goals and progressive passes.
BykerBill(Quote)