adminAlan Shearer has praised Joe Willock after the Newcastle United midfielder delivered an outstanding display in Saturday’s 2-1 Premier League victory over Hull City at St James’ Park.
Willock played a major role in Newcastle’s fast start, opening the scoring inside just three minutes to immediately put Matthias Jaissle’s side on the front foot.
The midfielder reacted quickly inside the Hull penalty area after Harvey Barnes’ clever pass found him in space. Willock took the opportunity brilliantly, controlling the ball before producing a powerful finish to beat goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis.
The goal was exactly the response Newcastle needed following their disappointing 4-1 defeat against Leeds United earlier in the week.
Lewis Hall doubled Newcastle’s advantage just four minutes later, leaving Hull facing a difficult task after conceding twice inside the opening seven minutes.
Although Hull fought back strongly after the interval and Mohamed-Ali Cho eventually reduced the deficit, Newcastle managed to hold on for an important three points.
Willock’s contribution was particularly significant because the midfielder has been given an important role under new head coach Matthias Jaissle. His energy, movement and ability to arrive in dangerous areas have provided Newcastle with another attacking option from midfield.
Shearer has previously highlighted Willock’s qualities, describing him as a player who can make a difference because of his energy and ability to run beyond opposition defenders.
That assessment was evident again against Hull.
The Newcastle midfielder was involved in the decisive early moments and showed the attacking instinct that has made him an important part of the squad. His recent performances have also underlined why Newcastle opted to retain him despite interest in his services during the summer.
Willock has already made an impact in the opening weeks of the campaign. He scored Newcastle’s winner against Millwall in the Carabao Cup earlier this month, turning home Lewis Hall’s cutback late in the game to send the Magpies through.
Against Hull, however, his contribution came much earlier and helped Newcastle establish the platform they ultimately needed to secure victory.
For Shearer, who famously enjoyed an extraordinary goalscoring spell during his own Newcastle career, Willock’s ability to make runs into the final third is one of the qualities that can make him particularly dangerous.
The victory also ended Hull City’s unbeaten start to their return to the Premier League, with Newcastle recovering from their heavy defeat at Leeds to claim a much-needed home win.
While Newcastle were forced to withstand considerable pressure during the second half, Willock’s early goal proved crucial.
His performance will therefore provide Jaissle with another encouraging sign as he continues to shape his Newcastle side.
With Willock showing greater attacking influence and confidence in front of goal, Newcastle supporters will hope Saturday’s display is another step towards establishing the midfielder as a consistent difference-maker under the new manager.
admin
