Jermaine Jenas believes the 'only downside' to Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson starting together for Newcastle United is the lack of a Plan B from the bench. The club-record signing and top scorer started alongside one another for only the second time in the 2-2 draw at Leeds United.
It was the duo who combined for the Magpies' first goal at Elland Road, with Isak drawing the foul from Max Wober before Wilson confidently dispatched the penalty. Newcastle's number nine then fired the visitors in front following the break, again getting the better of Joel Robles from the spot by firing straight down the middle.
Eddie Howe has often resisted the obvious temptation to name both of his leading marksman in the same starting eleven, but the last two fixtures have seen the Sweden international shifted to the left flank to accommodate Wilson. Jenas believes the in-form duo complement each other well, but fears it leaves the Newcastle head coach short of game-changing substitute options.
READ MORE: Alan Shearer's seven-word verdict on Newcastle's draw at Leeds amid two points dropped debate
He told BT Sport: "They’re two top players and when they’re at it, they’re going to cause defences up and down the league issues. My only downside I have to it is that when it’s not going quite well and you need something different, when Eddie Howe looks at the bench, he probably hasn’t got that spark that he’s looking for in Anthony Gordon.
"Anthony Gordon is probably the one he’s turn to to try and do something, but when you have one of these two to turn to, all of a sudden defences are going ‘hang on a minute, I’ve got another problem here.’ What I do like when they play together is that they complement each other.
"Wilson likes to do a lot of the running in behind, Isak likes to drop a little bit deeper at times and get on the ball and make things happen. We always played in an era where you played with two up top and that understanding was always so important.
"It’s only the second time today they’re gonna be starting together, that relationship is gonna grow and get better. All it’s gonna do is create more opportunities for Newcastle."
