‘I am’ - Anthony Gordon tells teammates how he feels about Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon believes Newcastle United are a “confident bunch” who can only get better once the team “clicks” in the final third.
The Toon ace put in his best performance of the season as the Magpies coasted to a 4-0 Champions League victory over Union Saint-Gilloise. Gordon bagged twice from the penalty spot, taking his tally to three in the competition.
It was a performance that looked alien to Newcastle for most of the campaign so far. While they have been solid defensively, life without Alexander Isak is proving difficult in the final third.
Newcastle United’s attacking woes
Just four Premier League goals in six games includes three goalless draws with Aston Villa, Leeds United and Bournemouth. To his credit, club-record arrival Nick Woltemade has delivered despite being fed scraps but the rest have contributed little.
Newcastle will hope last night marks a turning point ahead of a huge top-flight clash against Nottingham Forest. As well as Gordon, Toon new boy Anthony Elanga also showcased his best display of the season.
‘Never doubt us’ - Anthony Gordon
Speaking to TNT Sports, Gordon sent a warning to the naysayers who have written Newcastle off. He said: “I’ve missed the winning feeling. We had some tough games recently, some heartbreaking moments at the end of games, so it was good to get back to playing really good football, scoring goals and another clean sheet.
“Our defence hasn't been a problem, so that was never in doubt. We've lacked a bit of creativity, just a lack of good football in general. I think we've defended really well, we've been organised, but we've lacked that spark and that creativity. So we really wanted to put an emphasis on getting that back tonight, and I thought we did.
“I'm always full of confidence. I say that, (but) confidence isn't real. If you work hard enough, things will eventually go your way, and we are that team. I am that as an individual, so (I am) always confident in that aspect of myself. We're a confident bunch. Never doubt us.”
Anthony Gordon hails teammate
Gordon also singled out Woltemade for praise while urging for patience as the frontline gels together. He added: “It's going to take time to click because none of us have ever played together, especially when they've just come into the team.
“So it's going to take a while but you saw some lovely play tonight. I thought Nick played really well, especially the way he linked and was holding the ball up. When your No.9 does that, it allows everyone to come into the game.
“We've just got to take it one game at a time because we've got so many games and so many competitions. It's really difficult to keep on track if you're looking ahead. We just need to focus on the next one.”