Howe reveals Will Osula truth as £15m man prepares for FA Cup audition
After limited minutes since his £15m move from Sheffield United over the summer, Eddie Howe has been discussing Will Osula's position in the squad.
Osula has been limited to less than an hour of Premier League football since his arrival from the Blades, with his only start of his three Carabao Cup appearances coming in the third round against Wimbledon - in which Fabian Schar scored a penalty.
Considering Newcastle’s much publicised conflicts with PSR the signing of the Dane, followed by a complete lack of minutes, has been a puzzling saga. Eddie Howe has justified his decision and hinted we may see more from Osula soon.
Osula's lack of minutes explained
Will Osula last appeared in the third minute of second half injury time with the game wrapped up against Aston Villa - and before that with quarter of an hour to go while 3-0 up against Brentford in the Carabao Cup.
In the closer games, specifically against North London opposition, Howe has opted against Osula in favour of reinforcing the centre of the park to ensure we win our midfield battles.
Discussing his chance of a start today and recent lack of minutes, Howe said: “We could [see Osula start against Bromley]. All options are available to me. I’ve got to make the right decision. Will is continuing to develop.
“It’s been difficult the last few games because I’ve had to make decisions in running in a couple of situations. Against Tottenham we were winning and I decided to put a midfielder in Alex’s position when Alex was fatigued and had to come off. That’s because we were protecting the lead and I wanted someone with real experience who could manage the game for us.
“It was very similar the other night against Arsenal where, in a different phase of the game, I felt I needed real experience to help us navigate those last few minutes on the pitch. But Will is, on the other side, developing really well and if we need a goal then the decision would be very different.”
Osula was on the bench four games on the spin when we did need a goal and wasn’t called upon (West Ham, Palace, Liverpool, Brentford) but, if he has made progress in his development since early December then Howe’s stance on the 21-year-old may now have changed.
You can’t fault the manager’s decisions given the run of form the Magpies have been on and I’m sure we’ll see more of Osula when he’s ready - perhaps starting against Bromley on Sunday.
£15m man impressing in training - "he's scored goals"
Howe continued by discussing the big man's displays in training, revealing that he has impressed behind closed doors and that the Dane knows where the back of the net is/
“In training we’ve had a few 11-v-11 games and he’s looked really sharp, scored goals. If he is involved this weekend I would expect him to play well,” said Howe.
The attitude of Osula has never been questioned by the powers that be for his attitude or his performances in training, the hope is that he can continue in his development behind the scenes with the potential to become a dangerous Premier League striker.
I trust the process. Howe has proven he knows when his players are ready and isn’t scared to face criticism for his use of his squad - Lewis Hall last season being a prime example, used largely on the outskirts of the team with doubts at points if we would make his deal permanent; I think we can all be thankful we did now!
A good showing against Bromley this weekend can show Toon fans the promise that those behind the scenes have been accustomed to seeing, and set him up for a big season in 2025/26.
