View: Eddie Howe managing Elliot Anderson Newcastle United minutes perfectly
Elliot Anderson’s rise for Newcastle United over the past year has been extremely impressive and we could soon see the 19-year-old be given a Premier League start.
Anderson was playing for League Two Bristol Rovers in the second half of the 2021/22 season and it’s now clear he shouldn’t have been featuring in England’s basement tier.
His dribbling, directness and shooting ability has caught the eye of Eddie Howe and led the Magpies boss to turn down a number of loan approaches from the Championship for the 19-year-old.
It was somewhat surprising to see the youngster remain at St James’ Park considering the new faces that have arrived on Tyneside over the summer. However, it could well prove to be a piece of clever management by Howe.
Anderson is Newcastle’s main youth prospect and is seen as a project for the former Bournemouth boss to develop. He has given the attacking midfielder a taste of Premier League minutes this season but hasn’t thrown him into situations that could prove too difficult as of yet.
The 19-year-old has featured as a substitute in the Magpies’ last three Premier League wins, coming on in relatively easy situations which is exactly what he needs at the moment.
He played for 31 minutes in the Toon’s 4-1 win at Fulham, 10 minutes against Brentford and was given an 18-minute run out in their latest 1-0 win over Everton.
The game against the Toffees could well be viewed as a difficult scenario, but considering Frank Lampard’s side didn’t manage a shot on target and were completely stifled in an attacking sense, it was a good environment for the youngster to be given minutes.
With one key pass, one shot, one cross and a 100 per cent pass success rate it wasn’t a bad cameo from Anderson and it would not be a shock to see Howe entrust the youngster with a start in the coming weeks.
In other Newcastle United news, the Magpies have confirmed a new signing that will see him join up with the squad in January.