Anthony Elanga was the first signing made in the summer, as Eddie Howe finally made the right-wing signing that supporters have been clamoring for since the takeover.
The Swedish international was a long-term target for the club. Last summer he was spoken of during talks about Elliot Anderson’s transfer to Nottingham Forest.
Since Howe’s appointment, the club has often gone back for long-term goals and many of them have been successful at St James’ Park. Elanga has not benefited from a fast start to life on Tyneside and he has started to draw criticism over his performances.
There needs to be some nuance to the discussion, despite the two extremes that dominate the social media debate. There is some support that is already writing Elanga off as a signing and suggesting he is not a good tactical fit for the team. Meanwhile, others suggest he needs time to adapt and it is far too early to criticize him.
That’s true to a point, but the overall lack of impact is a concern. Elanga has now made ten appearances in all competitions, six of which have come as a starter, and he has not registered a single goal or assist.
In retrospect, the chance he had 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 many more. At 23, he is young and will be prone to inconsistent form. Confidence is enormous at that age.
Last season he showed 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 he can produce a similar return to black and white this season.
At the moment his touch is not quite right and he is not clicking in the Newcastle attack. An adjustment period is expected for each player, but even fans with a positive outlook are expected to see a little more from Elanga.
The Sweden 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 might 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 statistics will improve over the course of this season. Elanga now play in a superior attack and one that is more front foot in their approach. This combined with the natural improvement that comes with young players is why Elanga was signed.
The manager won’t write him off just yet and will understand that some new signings may take longer to adapt. Anthony Gordon took half a season before we saw his best football. Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento did not immediately break into the team.
Elanga’s price tag and his form with Forest last season raised expectations, but the right winger needs patience. He will know more than anyone that he can be better and he will have to be if he is to secure a regular starting position.
Luckily for us and Howe, we have a capable right wing to step in and relieve the pressure on Elanga. Jacob Murphy made 20 goal contributions last season and has already shown signs that he can have another good season. He already has two assists in all games and came close to adding a third at the weekend. The delivery for Malick Thiaw’s chance was incredible and only a big save by Matz Sels denied it.
Every new signing is scrutinized. It’s hard to fully believe in a player until you’ve seen them 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 assists, more will follow.
Statistics taken from FBREF (powered by Opta)
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