Eddie Howe says £15m man is a 'massive player' for Newcastle United after impressing against Birmingham City

Newcastle United made hard work of getting through to the next round of the FA Cup as League One side Birmingham City proved to be a stern test.

Birmingham took a shock lead in under a minute at St Andrews yesterday, firing an early warning to Newcastle that things weren't going to be straightforward.

Will Osula tortured Birmingham early on with his pace and skill, but after a while, the Midlands side worked out how to stop him ... just boot him until he hits the deck.

With a referee who had no control over the game, the Blues were able to get away with it over and over again, but it didn't put Olsua off, and the 21-year-old, who was signed for £15 million in the summer, kept running at them for the whole game.

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Eddie Howe was full of praise for Will Osula after two assists against Birmingham

Osula didn't score on the night but his two assists put him in consideration for Player of the Match, and without him we may not have managed to turn the game around.

Speaking after the game (via The Northern Echo), Eddie Howe was very impressed with Osula, hinting that he could have a bigger part to play in the second half of the season.

“I thought Will was a real outlet for us. His pace, strength and directness were key for us in that first half, finding our way back into the game.

“He’s still got some areas of his game that need development, but he’s certainly moving in the right direction and I thought he was unlucky not to score.

“I think he can play any of the front three positions. I think anything that showcases his pace, I think that’s his best asset. You saw that with his direct running.

“I think he’s got goals in him, I think he’s a natural goal scorer. There’s a few rough edges we need to improve, keep working and developing him, but he’s a massive player for us now.”

Will Osula can temporarily solve our right-wing issue

It looks as though Osula is getting the Lewis Hall treatment - watch from up close for half a season and then get increasingly more chances towards the end of the season, and it is definitely working.

With Newcastle having no backup for Jacob Murphy on the right, Osula showed that he can comfortably take up the mantle if needed, and after yesterday's performance, we have no issue with that.

The raw talent is definitely there for Osula, it's just about making those improvements that Eddie Howe alluded to and we could have a real player on our hands.