Newcastle United’s Dwight Gayle has had a phenomenal season so far in 2016/17, but he also represents a particular issue.
Nobody can deny the impact that Dwight Gayle has had on front runners Newcastle United during the start to this campaign. The 26-year-old has demonstrated phenomenal timing, maturity and finishing that has allowed him to top the Championship goalscorer charts heading into the new year. However, there’s a statistic that starts with Gayle that resonates down the list of the most lethal hitmen in the division.
General view outside St James’ Park
Out of the entire top 10, none of the players on the list have more than two assists for their side. Whilst some people will instantly reject that claim by insinuating that they are only there to score, that shouldn’t be the case.
One of the key attributes in the modern day striker is how much they can give to the game. They don’t necessarily have to just bang in the goals, as they are also capable of holding the ball up, bringing others into the game and winning tackles when necessary.
Danny Graham celebrates after scoring the second goal for Blackburn
Unfortunately that’s a trait that appears to be lost on the top scorers in the second tier this year. Now it’s true that a few of these players are part of some of the best teams in the division, however there a couple for which that is not the case. Danny Graham, Danny Ward and Sam Gallagher have 27 goals between them for Blackburn and Rotherham respectively, and those two sides are in as bad of a position as any.
It’s 2016, and strikers don’t have to be so one dimensional anymore.
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