How Newcastle United coach Eddie Howe can unleash Harvey Barnes hidden talent with just a thing to do

Barnes wants to start for Newcastle more than anyone else.

It was a goal that would have won any game. It was another strike that makes you wonder: Is it time to start Harvey Barnes?

The winger was at his best in Sunday’s fierce winner at Wolves. Take the ball off your feet, speed up, put your head up, and score. Barnes has one of the most powerful swings of any star at that range. The former Leicester City player is now showing what he’s made of on Tyneside after a season full of injuries.

But Barnes had to settle for starting on the bench again over the weekend. He was left out of the starting lineup even though he scored in Newcastle’s win over Tottenham Hotspur before the international break.

Lee Ryder
Harvey Barnes was “disappointed” that he didn’t get to start against Wolverhampton Wanderers after getting a lot of goals against Tottenham Hotspur. He wasn’t one of the first names on the team sheet on Sunday because of this.

So, the left has every reason to be angry if he has to sit out again this weekend against Fulham. I think he should start at Craven Cottage.

The Londoners would be scared to death by Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak, and Barnes in front of them, no matter how they line up. Jacob Murphy’s play is strange because he had a great preseason and showed off his best skills in the summer, but he failed on the big stage.

It might give him the drive to get back on track, which is something he’s always done. But if we want to pick a strong team, Barnes needs to be in on Saturday afternoon.

Eddie needs to put together the best team possible. Barnes should start!

Kevin Ciaran
Harvey Barnes should not have been taken out of the game after scoring against Spurs, but he did a great job when he came on at Wolves. Barnes wasn’t upset; he was just eager to help his team get back into the game and make a case for a starting spot at the same time.

Some might want to keep Barnes on the bench because most of his goals for Newcastle have come as a replacement and the Magpies don’t have Callum Wilson’s goal threat on the bench. Barnes, on the other hand, has scored in both of his league games since May. Newcastle needs to figure out how to get their best forwards to play well right away.

Yes, it changes the balance of the team. Anthony Gordon, like Barnes, is best when cutting in from the left, and Jacob Murphy provides natural width down the right. But Newcastle aren’t exactly clicking as an offensive force right now, and Barnes gives them another outlet to take the pressure off of Alexander Isak and Gordon.

Aaron Stokes
In the past few weeks, I’ve had some doubts about starting Harvey Barnes for a number of reasons. While Jacob Murphy had a great preseason, moving Anthony Gordon from the left to the right isn’t the best idea. Also, I like that Eddie Howe has a £40 million option ready to come off the bench and change the game when it’s needed, as we saw on Sunday at Molineux.

It is hard to deny that Barnes is impressing and being very steady this season. It is even harder to argue that Barnes, Gordon, and Alexander Isak are not Newcastle’s most dangerous three.

The player who used to play for Leicester isn’t perfect and still has work to do to become a regular in Howe’s team, but he deserves to start in the next games, even if that means moving Gordon to the other side.

Say what you think: Give him a chance to prove himself on the team.

John Musgrove
Even though it would be hard to find someone who would say no after seeing how well he played to score the goal against Wolves, I still think Eddie Howe may choose Jacob Murphy to play against Fulham.

After all, Murphy could have been the hero if his shot from the first half had gone in.

Barnes is quickly putting the doubters to rest, but it’s still unclear whether he will be more useful off the bench or when he starts. I think we’ll only know the answer when he starts more games. He needs to show that he can do it.

That was true when he played for Leicester in the Premier League, and it is still true now that he is at United. I am sure that Barnes will do what he has always done: accept Howe’s choice and get on with his job, no matter what happens in the weeks to come.

Should I start him? Yes, but I worry that will hurt Anthony Gordon because he’s not the same player when he has to play off the left side.

Decision: Put him to work, but be careful not to upset Gordon!

John Stuart Jamieson
Anthony Gordon is Newcastle United’s first choice left-sided forward if we start with the idea that your best players should play where they do best. The English star has shown over and over that he is most dangerous when he attacks defenses from the left side, sets up other players for chances, or cuts inside and tries to score.

But the same can be said about Harvey Barnes. The former Leicester player has come on to change the game more than once this season, like when he played well in the second half against Wolves.