William Osula already has his own chant among the Newcastle United faithful but you suspect it will only be used sparingly in the coming months as the young forward gets to grips with Eddie Howe’s painstaking ways on Tyneside.
The young Dane, 21, was handed his first competitive start in black and white on Tuesday evening as Newcastle picked up a narrow 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon despite enjoying 80 per cent possession and taking 18 shots on goal. Those statistics sum up what sort of evening unfolded for the north east outfit, with an eager Osula leading the line and willing to impress.
The forward may not have fired beyond Wimbledon stopper Owen Goodman but there was glimpses – and more than a few – of why Newcastle, persuaded by former Sheffield United employee Jason Tindall, spent £15m on the raw talent during a tricky summer.
It was Osula who earned the first free-kick of the game as he put the ball through the legs of Riley-Jay Harbottle before being clattered on the touchline just a few yards away from Howe and Tindall in the Toon technical area. Moments later, the Newcastle man was being played in on goal after a clever turn by attacking co-star Miguel Almiron.
It was one of the better chances for the home side in a frustrating first-half but as Osula raced in behind and tried to fend off his opposite number, he struggled to get the ball out of his feet and the chance went begging. That was the last chance of note the attacker would earn before the break but his off the ball movement was sharp – and noticeable.
After 16 minutes there was a well-timed, bending run in behind the Wimbledon backline but the pass aimed for him was overhit. Less than 10 minutes later, Osula spun his man and made a darting run towards goal only to find centre-back Emil Krafth had either failed to spot the movement or simply decided it was too daring a pass to try with the game finely poised.
Osula’s best chance of the tie, and Newcastle’s best opening of the second-half, came as he used his body to fend off the defender before spinning onto his left foot and rifling a shot into the side netting. With a little less ring rust, it may have well ended up on target and in the net.
The final moment of note from the imposing figure, who continues to play second fiddle to Alexander Isak, came as he raced down the right channel attempting to leave his man in the dust and race through on goal. Osula showed great strength to keep the ball under pressure, and after beating one, attempted to dribble through another two players towards goal.
The move didn’t pay off but the tenacious graft Osula showed in that moment earned applause – before the Gallowgate corner began to chant his name to the tune of The Champs’ iconic song “Tequila”.
It is these moments, easily forgotten or missed in the grand scheme of the game, that should excite Newcastle supporters and will no doubt please Howe and his coaching staff. However, It is early days and Osula is playing with the luxury of limited pressure on his shoulders.
There is no hefty price tag and despite Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson currently on the sidelines, Howe has the option to play Anthony Gordon through the middle. In turn, allowing summer signing Osula to continue to get up to speed behind the scenes. The Newcastle boss has never made any secret of his desire to take his time with the £15m man.
Speaking after the game, Howe praised Osula’s performance but conceded the player would likely be frustrated with the chances that went begging.
“Time will tell, and his performances will dictate that,” Howe responded when asked about Osula earning more minutes in the Premier League, as opposed to cup competitions. “I thought today there was some really bright flashes for him but I think he knows that he’s got areas of his game, like any young man has, to work on.
“As I said in the press conference before the game, we’re working on those with him but I thought it was a performance of promise. He probably could have scored a couple of goals. I think he’ll be frustrated with a couple of moments that he’s had, especially the one early in the game.”
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