Former International Striker Ian Wright Unconvinced By Magpies' Forward Dwight Gayle

Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright was part of the Match of the Day team that analysed Saturday's games and unfortunately for Newcastle United's Dwight Gayle he was unable to escape criticism of his lacklustre performance. 

When a striker of Wright's ability and reputation scrutinises a fellow striker's display, as a supporter or an aspiring striker, you can not fail to take notice of the critique. However, Wright was far from impressed by Gayle's overall showing against Brighton at St James' Park.  

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Reported in ChronicleLive the former Gunner said: “I saw Dwight Gayle miss a really good chance in the last knockings of the Manchester City game. The kind of chance he has to be taking now.

“He has got three goals up to now, think he is top scorer at Newcastle. Not enough. A great ball from Atsu, I think he could do more with the header, he just lets it hit him, he’s put nothing on it.

“He has got to whip his head on it, he has got to get the goalkeeper to work more.  He doesn’t look at at Dunk at all, he doesn’t make a positive move. The touch is poor and he doesn’t get it out of his feet. Dunk is stretching and in the end he makes a good challenge – but Gayle’s touch is poor.

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“Dwight Gayle needs to quicken up on everything. I don’t know what he is doing in training…he needs to do everything quicker, half a yard quicker, he just seems to be on his heels.”

Wright is not the only one to be unimpressed by Gayle and his ability to cope with the standard of the Premier League. Many of the club's own supporters can not understand what he adds to side and believe he is out of his depth.

Gayle is a striker that has faced plenty of criticism of late especially after his innocuous dive against Manchester City recently, but he is a player that should appreciate more than most how fortunate they are to be a professional footballer after working his way through non league and the lower echelons of the Football League to forge a reputation, one that Ian Wright can relate to.

Nevertheless, Gayle needs to show his style of play more consistently; described as an energetic, hardworking, pacey striker and a natural finisher the Geordie fans and football pundits would be more willing to see greater evidence of these traits so Newcastle can climb away from the clutches of the Premier League's bottom three.