Anthony Gordon needs to be given a break

It is now coming up to three years since Anthony Gordon signed for Newcastle United.

The then 21 year old winger made a scapegoat at Everton, as with the club in a desperate state on and off the pitch, the club’s owners knew they had to sell him in January 2022 if they were to have any chance of not breaking PSR three year limits.

Rather than be honest about this though, the Everton hierarchy were desperate to make it look like only a situation where Anthony Gordon was forcing his way out of their club, rather than the fact they were actively and desperately trying to sell him.

As usual, the rabid Everton fans were happy to play their part, shameful abuse and harassment of the 21 year old local lad who had been their best player the previous season and doing ok in a very poor team in the first half of the 2022/23 season.

Fair to say that it wasn’t seen as a completely positive signing by Newcastle United fans. Anthony Gordon had stood out against United in recent encounters, due to a combination of him playing well AND coming across as a workie ticket, a right scally.

In that half season you had plenty of Newcastle fans calling into question Eddie Howe’s judgement, after having committed a £40m transfer fee (Everton still ended up breaking PSR limits and docked points) plus a potential £5m more in future add-ons.

Eddie did his usual thing of giving new signings, especially younger ones, plenty of time to settle and get up to speed, Anthony Gordon only started four Premier League matches that 2022/23 season and was used regularly off the bench (12) in brief cameos to held him adjust.

His first full season saw an incredible 21 direct goal involvements in 34 PL starts, the impressive achievement in 2023/24 of double figures for Anthony Gordon on both PL goals (11) and assists (10), plus named Newcastle United’s player of the season.

Despite a season hit by injury and fitness issues, in the 2024/25 campaign, Anthony Gordon still managed 15 direct goal involvements across all competitions, his nine goals and six assists seeing him help Newcastle United win the League Cup and qualify for the Champions League for a second time in three years.

This coincided with now Anthony Gordon not only in the England squad but also a regular starter.

What could possibly go wrong?

In my opinion, Anthony Gordon doesn’t get the same treatment that other Newcastle United players get.

When he and Newcastle United are flying (which tends to be the case, the two things inextricably linked), all if good in the world.

When Newcastle United aren’t doing so well, it feels to me like Anthony Gordon is invariably at the head of the queue when fans are playing the blame game.

If he is playing ok, that is rated as not good enough, when he plays poorly he is shocking and even claims he isn’t trying. Any positives are dismissed, pointing out where he has done well in other matches/competitions, they are brushed aside.

This season, Anthony Gordon has had a touch time, with injuries, fitness issues, having to often play out of position through the middle, that three game suspension and so on.

I would say he has done kind of ok, a bit up and down, indeed, maybe summing up Newcastle United in the opening months of the season. Yet for other Newcastle United fans he has been shocking, useless, never play him again, sell him etc etc. The selling him is the real extreme lunatic fringe of the fanbase but they are out there.

The reality is that this season so far, Anthony Gordon has now started 14 games in all competitions and had seven direct goal involvements, scoring six and one assist.

Which brings me to….

Anthony Gordon played the first 74 minutes of Saturday’s game as Newcastle United won 2-1 against Burnley.

The England winger finally back in the starting eleven after his latest injury and having been excellent when coming on against Spurs, opening up the Tottenham defence and putting in the cross which saw Bruno score after Burn touched the ball back.

Against Burnley, Anthony Gordon was easily the best player on the pitch and by a million miles the most influential.

Yet you wouldn’t know it from hearing Newcastle United fans speak about him. He did ok, did a bit better, was decent, these kind of words given on his contribution.

Personally, I think Anthony Gordon has to do far more than anybody else to get the same acclaim.

On The Mag this morning for example, the person doing the player ratings for Newcastle 2 Burnley 1, gave Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw top marks, both given eight out of ten.

Then next best with seven out of ten were Dan Burn, Fabian Schar, Joe Willock and Anthony Gordon.

Mark Jankowski, who did these ratings, had this to say about Anthony Gordon after giving him seven out of ten…

Plenty of good running today from Anthony Gordon and he took his penalty very well, not dissimilar to his effort in midweek. It’s good to see him starting to recover a bit of form as we come into a tricky part of the season.

This isn’t meant as a personal attack on Mark, I just wanted to use this as an illustration of what most Newcastle United fans have said about Anthony Gordon, after that win over Burnley.

We all have our own bias and prejudice for and against certain players, we are all guilty of it. Finding it easier to give some players praise, compared to others.

However, with Anthony Gordon, he has to do far far more, to get begrudging praise. When Newcastle fans are watching matches, they seem to often suffer collective blindness and/or memory loss when it comes to Gordon and playing well.

Have a look at the Newcastle 2 Burnley 1 highlights if you don’t believe me, just watch what Anthony Gordon contributes, pretty much all the positives in the game in the attacking half, he was involved in, as well as diligently tracking back.

Creates the space and opens up the opportunity to let fly from some 25 yards out and with his weaker foot, Dubravka completely beaten but Gordon’s left foot shot hits the far post and not the net.

This is an interesting one. Watch the Bruno goal again, watch what Anthony Gordon does, he should get an assist! Obviously this is a routine they have worked on, probably watching Dubravka and Burnley defending corners. Anthony Gordon has a key role in the goal. Bruno Guimaraes bends the ball from the corner and it goes into the far corner/side of the goal. Anthony Gordon brilliantly blocks Martin Dubravka, he doesn’t foul him, he just stands his ground and does what he has been asked to do, his positioning then stops Dubravka getting across to stop the goal. Watch it again, if it wasn’t for Gordon doing that, Dubravka saves Bruno’s audacious effort.

Kyle Walker has had enough of Gordon tormenting him, the former England defender scything down the Newcastle winger, getting the booking that then limits how far he can go the rest of the match when trying to stop Newcastle’s attacks.

Anthony Gordon drifts inside, as he so effectively did throughout the match. He gets possession and in a busy midfield area, manages to produce an astonishing threaded pass which puts Elanga through the middle, the Burnley defender is last man and trips Elanga to stop him scoring. Red card and surely game over.

Anthony Gordon takes the left wing corner, I think he won this corner, also think he may have won the corner Bruno scored from, maybe my memory playing tricks on this one as maybe he didn’t. Anyway, Gordon’s dangerous corner is handled by the Burnley defender, penalty given.

Gordon himself smashes home the penalty (which turns out to be the winning goal…).

In the second half just before subbed off, Gordon creates the space and from around 25 yards, bends a brilliant effort that completely beats Dubravka but unluckily hits the bar not the net.

The next six months

Anthony Gordon was superb yesterday, man of the match easily.

I am not saying that he isn’t beyond criticism, far from it. Neither am I saying he has been brilliant across these opening months of the season.

What I am saying is that we should give Anthony Gordon full and proper recognition when he is playing well and appreciate what a brilliant and essential player he is for Newcastle United.

When he is flying, so usually are Newcastle United.

Thomas Tuchel knows how good he is and Anthony Gordon will be starting for England at the World Cup.

Ahead of that, Anthony Gordon can be instrumental in helping Newcastle United to do great things these next six months.