‘Absolutely garbage’ – Newcastle fans rip into ‘shocking’ starter who lost eight duels vs Fulham
Newcastle fans have slammed Joe Willock after he failed to stake a claim to start more regularly during their Carabao Cup win over Fulham.
Joe Willock has been on the fringes of Newcastle‘s starting eleven for a while now due to the midfield quality at Eddie Howe‘s disposal.
The former Arsenal man started just 11 Premier League games last season, while he has only made 12 appearances so far in 2025-26 across all competitions.
Willock has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace in the January window, and Newcastle want to sign Alkmaar starlet Kees Smit, so could look to sell the 26-year-old to free up funds.
He was handed a rare start on Wednesday night as Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1 to progress to the Carabao Cup semi-finals, but did not impress, despite their victory.
Willock struggled to make an impact against Fulham
Willock started alongside Bruno Guimaraes and Jacob Ramsey in the middle of the park against the Cottagers, and was outperformed by that pair as his lack of match sharpness seemed to hinder his performance.
The 26-year-old has earned plaudits for his impressive ball-carrying abilities in recent times, yet he failed to show that on Wednesday as he only ended up taking one touch in the Fulham box before going off in the 72nd minute.
Not only that, but Willock also won just two of 10 combined ground and aerial duels that he attempted (29 per cent), while he committed two fouls and was arguably lucky not to be booked.
Football Insider recently revealed that Willock is open to leaving Newcastle in January amid interest from Palace and other Premier League clubs, and it would come as little surprise to see him leave based off this showing so close to the start of the window.
Newcastle fans want Willock gone in January – ‘Sick of him’
Reports have stated that Newcastle want to recoup the £21million they paid for Willock back in 2021, if he does leave, as it would help their position regarding profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Willock may well be open to a move away from Tyneside to further his career, and it seems as if many Magpies fans would be content to see him moved on next month.
Taking to X, one fan reacted to his performance against Fulham by saying: “Joe Willock needs to be sold. (He’s) never gonna hit that peak form from before, and he just takes up a space whenever he plays.”
Another said: “Every time Willock plays, it’s worse than his previous match. At that rate, we’ll be lucky to get a bag of crisps for him.“
While another supporter added: “We need footballers. I’d happily never see Willock play for us again.“