Eddie Howe says Will Osula is ready to lead the line for Newcastle United in the Premier League
Will Osula has played around 70 minutes in both of Newcastle United's public pre-season friendlies so far this summer, as Eddie Howe has no other options available.
Youngster Sean Neave has been called upon to relieve Osula in both games as Howe's only other recognised striker in the pre-season squad after the departure of Callum Wilson, and with Alexander Isak being 'injured'.
Having already missed out on several striker targets this summer, the question was put to Eddie Howe on Sunday after the 3-2 defeat to Arsenal in Singapore, whether Will Osula is ready to lead the line for the Magpies.
Will Osula clearly wasn't ready last season, as the Denmark U21 star was used very sparingly by Eddie Howe. However, he did have a good tournament with Denmark at the U21 European Championships, which will have boosted his confidence.
Eddie Howe says he needs all of his players ready to play at any given time and he believes they are
Now, having started two games in a row, Osula will know it's his time to make a case to Eddie Howe, and while Eddie was very diplomatic in his answer to the question of Osula, he wasn't very convincing, given that he applied his answer to the entire squad.
"I think every player in our squad has to be ready to play. That would be my message to every single man in the squad. We don't have the biggest squad in the Premier League, so every person has to contribute, and I'd have no hesitation in picking anybody."
Howe then went on to say that they are still working hard to bring in more players this summer.
"We're not deluded, we know we need to bring more players in. We've known that for a long time. At the tail end of last season, we did all the work, and we know who we wanted. It's been a challenging transfer window. Let's see what we can do towards the end of it."
Eddie Howe deserves a medal
We honestly don't know how Eddie Howe does it. How does he keep his cool in these interviews without throwing so much shade at those above him who are severely letting him down?
It's not hyperbole to suggest that Newcastle would be nowhere without Eddie Howe, especially since Amanda Staveley was chucked out. Howe has kept the team going, kept things on the pitch at a high level while everything behind him is on fire, and he's done it all with grace and humility.
Our worry is that there's only so much a man can take, and like Alexander Isak, when something better comes along, he too could walk.
