Newcastle have two target men in Aleksandar Mitrovic and Daryl Murphy, and they will be in competition to score the most in the Championship.
One of Newcastle’s most surprising signings of the summer was the arrival of Daryl Murphy from Ipswich.
The former Sunderland striker was brought in to add vital Championship experience in front of goal, something that his teammate Aleksandar Mitrovic does not have.
The young Serbian joined Newcastle last summer from Anderlecht and although he became a hero on Tyneside, Mitrovic probably didn’t do as well as expected in his first season.
Having missed all of Newcastle opening five games, through suspension and then injury, the 21-year-old has yet to kick off his Championship career, and his missed the opportunity to steal a march on Murphy.
33-year-old Murphy knows how to score goals at Championship level. In the 2014/15 campaign, the Irishman hit 27 goals in the second tier, boasting a record of 50 Championship goals in the past three seasons.
In comparison, Mitrovic bagged nine goals in his first season in England, but his cult status in black and white already gives him the edge.
Murphy has something to prove, arriving as a former Sunderland striker, at an age where he is reaching the latter stages of his career.
At half an inch taller and 12 years older, Murphy could be the experienced figure needed to help mould Mitrovic into the forward he can be. The Serbian striker still has a lot to prove to manager Rafael Benitez, who often opted for the experienced Papiss Cisse last season, which could be a good sign for Murphy.
Newcastle’s future should involve Mitrovic for many years to come, but this is probably Murphy’s only chance to make an impact on Tyneside and change the tag of ex-Sunderland striker to Newcastle hero.
For that reason, and with pressure on the Republic of Ireland, Mitrovic must step up and match his teammate all the way, or fear slipping down the St James’ Park pecking order.
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