The Athletic’s Newcastle United correspondent Chris Waugh believes that Matt Ritchie needs to be restored to the club’s starting XI, per The Pod on the Tyne podcast (March 11th, 09:23).
What’s the word?
The 30-year-old started against Southampton at the weekend but missed a penalty in the 1-0 victory.
He has made 10 Premier League appearances thus far this season, but has started just four times in 2020.
And Waugh thinks that he should be playing regularly, given the influence he has on the team.
He said: "I just think Ritchie gives you that leadership on the pitch."
He added: "I'm not convinced long term that Matt Ritchie as an offensive player in the Premier League is necessarily the best idea, but for now in the situation Newcastle are in and the need to fight for points, he needs to be in that team somewhere."
Not wrong
Ritchie is a remarkably seasoned professional.
Throughout his career, he has made 478 first-team appearances, from Newcastle to Portsmouth, and Bruce’s men need leadership like that if they are to survive in the Premier League.
They are currently eight points clear of the relegation zone but there remains nine games of the season to play and Newcastle could easily slip back into that battle should they lose a number of games in succession.
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They have games against the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Liverpool to come, and need to pick up as many points as possible.
Having Ritchie’s influence in the side could be necessary as the season progresses; in the games that he has started in 2020, Newcastle have never once lost.
Instead, they have drawn with Everton, Norwich City, and Burnley, while beating Southampton; he also played 75 minutes as a left-back against Chelsea in a 1-0 win.
He should be in the side.
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