Joe Willock has been a divisive subject among Newcastle supporters this season. There are some who believe he is too injury prone and no longer good enough to contribute regularly. Meanwhile, others appreciate his energy and creative abilities in the middle of the park.
Either way, the midfield options at Newcastle United are a strong area of individuals, even if Eddie Howe has failed to find the right balance so far this season.
The former Arsenal academy graduate was on the fringes of the England squad in 2023 before he picked up a serious injury. A lack of pre-season cost him in 2023/24. Willock returned to action in the midst of our injury crisis and it was too much too soon for him.
This season, he has been managed carefully. Although there have been one or two niggles, Willock looks to have built up his load. Against Chelsea on Wednesday, there were positive signs, as he dovetailed nicely with Joelinton on the left wing. That was a combination that worked wonders for us during our successful 2022/23 season.
There was one sprint down the left wing in the second half that caught the attention. Despite a lack of a final ball, it was great to see that explosive acceleration from the midfielder. It is clear that confidence in his body is returning.
Howe has plenty of options available to him in midfield, but nobody else has the pace or attacking threat that Willock has. Before his injury, the Englishman was threatening to become a serious force in the final third. In the 2022/23 season, he was averaging 0.25 expected goals (xG) and 0.21 expected assisted goals (xAG) per ninety minutes. That combined is an average of 0.46 expected goal involvements per ninety minutes.
These are fantastic numbers. Although he only contributed three goals and six assists in that season, his underlying numbers suggested an upturn in output was around the corner. It will take time for him to find the same form, but there have been flashes this season. Against Wolves, he came off the bench and injected impetus to our attack. During that cameo, he created five chances, which was among the most of any Premier League player that weekend.
It is difficult to write Willock off, as the quality is there for all to see. However, there have been some fair comments made by his critics. At times, his body language and effort has been questioned. That is normal for a player still building confidence in his own body. The sprinting dribble against Chelsea showed that the physical ability remains.
This feels like a huge season for Willock. At the age of 25, he needs to be pushing on and developing into the finished product. After a disrupted 12 months due to injury, he needs to make up for lost time. The performance against Chelsea was an encouraging one. Hopefully it is the start of a good run of form.
If he manages to stay fit and find his rhythm, he adds a profile of midfielder that we don’t have. It opens up tactical options for Howe and that is exciting.
I think Anderson was a similar midfielder to Willock & having both in the squad offered something different to that left side of central midfield.
I’m a big fan of Willock & it’s such a shame he’s suffered with injuries the way he has. I hope he gets a chance to show just how good he is this season.
Sharpy17(Quote)
He also doesn’t pick up as many yellow cards as Joelinton.
He gets my vote when fit.
Joseph(Quote)
Little bit surprised that this article doesn’t mention that Willock is a liability when we need to defend. He reminds me of a certain John Jo Shelvey in that respect. If he was available for transfer would any team in the top four would want him ?
Tommy Tantrum(Quote)