The former Newcastle United man feels Sammy Ameobi should be playing up front.
Former Newcastle midfielder Nolberto Solano believes Sammy Ameobi has done a good job this season but would do better were he played up front.
Indeed, Solano feels the 22-year-old’s height and strength mean he is out of position down the left for the Magpies.
“Sammy Ameobi has done a good job this season. But I’m still not sure he is a left winger,” Solano wrote in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle.
“I think he’s got great skill and can live with the pace in the Premier League. I just wonder if at 6ft 4in he might end up being a central striker.
“Time will tell but for now all he can do is keep playing well out wide and see where it takes him. It’s a big three games coming up for Newcastle at Arsenal, Spurs and then back on Tyneside against Sunderland.”
| Chances Created | Accurate Crosses | Dribbles Won | Aerial Duels Won | Minutes Played | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rémy Cabella | 23 | 12 | 22 | 4 | 848 |
| Jack Colback | 19 | 14 | 5 | 6 | 1,239 |
| Moussa Sissoko | 17 | 5 | 28 | 19 | 1,245 |
| Yoan Gouffran | 11 | 4 | 6 | 21 | 936 |
| Ayoze Pérez | 9 | 1 | 11 | 10 | 616 |
| Gabriel Obertan | 8 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 301 |
| Sammy Ameobi | 6 | 7 | 19 | 18 | 581 |
As Opta stats show, 22-year-old Amoebi has indeed impressed since coming into the side, creating six chances, landing seven crosses and winning 19 dribbles.
He is also very effective in the air, having won 18 aerial duels – not forgetting that he has played far less minutes than many of Newcastle’s squad so far this term.
But the question Solano rightly poses is: would Amoebi be even better through the middle?
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