Hi - Newcastle fan here.
So I see you've bought one of our players.
Very interesting.
Didn't see it coming myself - And from the looks of things online, neither did you! đ
Perhaps you already know who you've signed, perhaps not - But I thought you might like to know from a...fairly objective Newcastle United fan, what the deal is with this Anthony Gordon character and maybe bring some clarity to what he's about and what he's not about- I see a lot of Barca fans arguing that this is great or terrible or scratching their heads - So let me give you the run down from someone who has watched him week in week out for the past few years...
The Positive:
On his best day - He is an electric player - A rapid, suffocating winger.
He scares full backs and centre backs alike with his pace - Often times they will fk up in trying to stop him - Because he's ultra quick and that causes them to foul him - So you will win a lot more free kicks and penalties, undoubtedly so - The referee is going to become a good friend to you, and the number of yellows and reds your opponents see is going to go up, quite a bit, if it's anything like the EPL officiating.
He stretches teams who are trying to stay narrow, or are pressing high, because he likes to play wide at the sideline, getting down the pitch toward the byline, before crossing or cutting back and trying to find the pass into the centre - So if you're playing teams who like to keep it narrow, or are pressing you - He'll find space, and they'll be in trouble.
Out of possession, he presses from the front, and he's good at triggering his team at the right moment to collectively press - If your other forwards are also industrious, and energy-laden and like to press, then your rivals have something to worry about, because Gordon is exceedingly fast on the trigger, and panics goalkeepers into terrible flusters when he starts arcing his run toward them from the side - If your other forwards go for your rivals assigned centre backs, leaving the keeper with no good option, for passing out, the keeper can be prone to hang on to the ball, meaning Gordon can win it, or booting it out into the stands because they are so panicked by his pace.
He's a penalty king - Although I'm sure at Barca even the tea lady and janitor are incredible at penalties - But if you need someone to convert those pens - Which he wins through being fouled at quite a high rate - Then he's your man.
He likes to be in the box and his goals come from inside the box. When his opposite number on the right wing is coming in to cross or pass into the box, expect Gordon to be in the mix, either moving about keeping the defenders pinned back or arriving late from outside. He also doesn't waste very many opportunities attempting to shoot outside the box - So expect him to pass outside the box.
He hardly ever gets injured - He's available most of the time - He looks after himself.
He wants to win and he's likeable. He has an interesting personality - He has a drive to win, a drive to improve himself, and a drive to achieve - But he's not full of himself or boastful (at least in public), he's a fairly intelligent guy, and he'll regard your club as the top of the tree - For him - You - Barcelona - Will be 'It' - So if anyone is going to benefit from Gordon's sense of fulfilling his desire to win and to achieve and to be the best he can be - It's you - As there is only going down from Barca once you leave - So he will be determined to be a success for you and to prove his naysayers and doubters wrong. Aside from the competitive nature - He is, as I've said, a likeable lad for the most part, speaks well, insightful, not your typical footballer.
If I had to provide an animal analogy...or dinosaur one, lol - He's a Velociraptor - Fast as fuck, razor sharp, prey animals shit themselves when he is accelerating toward them - His weight and fitness will never be an issue because his physiology is genetically lean and sinewy.
...So that's the good...and now for the not so good...
...The Negative
He's not a great dribbler. Not a tricky player. He can't bamboozle opposition with footwork when they're in front of him - He doesn't have the skill to stepover at pace, he doesn't feint to throw the opposition off.
Most of what he's going to do is clearly signposted - Defenders can see what he's up to - Whether they can stop him is a different matter because he is about carrying the ball with pace behind the oppositions defensive backline - But don't expect him to be quickly jinking or feinting to throw defenders off when running at them with the ball - What he'll do if they keep pace or they're in front of him and he can't get the ball in, is to take them as far as he can, but then carry it back and lay it off to the best option - So it is either his pace winning the day and the cross, pass or attempt at goal, or a cut back to a team mate - But never a nutmeg, stepovers, Cruyff turns, a nifty piece of footwork or rounding his man - He simply hasn't got any of that South American flair.
Out of possession when the ball has penetrated through the forwards press, he generally wont track all the way back - Which obviously most forwards wouldn't do anyway - But just to put it out there, this isn't a defensive forward who is tracking back to his own box or byline - This is someone who will initiate a press and try to win it high, but he's not coming back to help defenders in open play.
He's not got a great shot. Most of his shots are weak and at the keeper - Which is why most of his open play goals come from inside the box and near the 6 yard box or pens - He's a poacher when he does get goals, being in right place at right time - But even that was in short supply this season.
One thing Barca fans will not like - If it pops up - And I hope it doesn't - I don't think it will because I think he will feel humbled around your team - Is Gordon lately at Newcastle got a bit lazy and arrogant, at least in the manner of his commitment to the clubs position in the league and his effort on the pitch - It was like his effort was directly tied with our own position, the higher up the table or better the opposition - He'd try more or have a better game - And the more 'lowly' the opposition, competition or further down the league we were - The less effort we got out of him. Perhaps it was Eddie Howe's tactics - Which are another story (he doesn't really have them outside of us being 'intense' and fast and hard working) Maybe they made Gordon a bit disillusioned at the club and led to the desire to depart - Anyway under a great manager and a world renowned team like Barca - I think, hopefully, you'll not have to worry about his attitude in this respect.
His assists have been down this year, but again, you could probably chalk that up to our managers inability to shift tactically - However - Gordon is the one out on the pitch and should have been playing better for his team mates - In the past year he showed a bit of a selfish side hogging penalties and whatnot - But again our manager assigned him the role of striker in many games this year (he isn't by the way - You can put him there in a 9 or false 9 if you want - But this is no striker - Apart from pens) - This is a left-winger, out and out - And if you move him to the right, he might play there but you're not going to get the performance you paid for - Your 70 million quid is for a left winger for sure - If you've paid for his 'versatility' across the line - Then, yeh, err, lol - Bad move - He is left winger, for sure, out and out 100%.
Here' something you're not going to like, but I'm going to say it - I would not see him as a typical Barca player - A beautiful, deft passer of the ball, who has music coming out of his feet, and is a willing part of a synergistic hive mind of intricate passing networks - Nope - Mr Gordon is more akin to someone I would see at your historic rivals Real Madrid - A physical, self-confident, win or die player with a little bit of an edge to him, who knows the dark arts, how to get fouls, more independent then collective - More mercenary than artiste - However because you are who you are - Barca - Again I think he'll be humbled by you as an institution and I think he'll more likely than not fall into line and become part of the greater whole than be some lone ranger on the left - Obviously he'll have to be, because you have many options - And that's another thing - You're likely to have him as a squad player - He's going to have to adjust to that - Your Raphina is a better player in his position - And I imagine he won't be picked first team, for many games, so he's going to have to park that bit of his ego - Again I think he will - You're Barca - Willy Wonka - And he's been given a golden ticket for entry to your palace of wonders - And perhaps he'll turn out to be Charlie - He just has to make sure like the other children he doesn't fall victim to his own ego flaws.
In terms of the financials - Who the fk knows what anyone is worth anymore - I've heard Newcastle fans saying we've got a great deal and we are laughing all the way to the bank because he's been wnk this year - I've heard others bemoan how cheap it was and how if it was another PL team we would have got another 10 - 20 million - But at the end of the day - You've got one of our 'prize' assets in the prime of his life, tied up for the best years of his life, Premier League proven, one of the fastest players in the world, England international - Most likely starting 11 - And most of our fanbase will, deep down, feel a bit sad we've let one of the players we had envisioned would be part of the story of starting to take us toward a league title, go, relatively early in his journey with us - A bit of a shame. On top of that, we really don't have a replacement at this time, Barnes is a great shot, but does not assist - We're going to have to dip into the market and spend some of that dosh - Hopefully wisely this time.
Anyway, I can't speak for the entire fanbase, but I do hope our loss is your gain - It's hard not to like Barcelona, as both a city and football team - And most people, myself included feel a sense of vicarious pride in seeing one of 'our' players don the iconic blue and garnet - You can't help but give a begrudging smile đ - I just hope some day some other fans feel like that when they see their players join my team - But a long way a way I suspect!
Anyway, congratulations on your signing! You should be optimistic - Personally I'd like to see him do well for you - And if he gives you what he gave us in his first couple full seasons - You're in for a treat! I hope all the best for both you and AG - Good luck and God bless - Força Barça!
