£124m spent but Newcastle no closer to striker solution

£124m spent but Newcastle no closer to striker solutionImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Only Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah scored more non-penalty goals than Yoane Wissa (above) did for Brentford in the Premier League last seasonByCiaran KellyNewcastle United reporterPublished7 minutes agoCommentsThe match-winner was wearing Newcastle United's iconic number nine shirt as he took the acclaim of the crowd at full-time.But Yoane Wissa was not being serenaded at Selhurst Park.It was Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who swapped shirts with his former Chateauroux team-mate after scoring a dramatic late double in a 2-1 win.This was a tale of two contrasting cameos from the bench last weekend.Whereas Mateta changed the game when he entered the fray, Wissa did not even touch the ball after being thrown on following his friend's second goal deep into stoppage time.Fellow summer arrival Nick Woltemade only had slightly longer to make an impact when handed a rare outing up front in the 84th minute.Although Wissa and Woltemade cost a combined £124m last summer, head coach Eddie Howe made it clear he did not pick the team "based on transfer fees" but as a result of what he saw in training.Howe's words were a little revealing as he explained why goalscorer William Osula was given a surprise start."He's got the physical attributes, the determination to do really well," he said. "He's improving week in, week out."Isak departure still being feltOsula's recall was the latest twist in Newcastle's search for a lasting solution up front - seven months after Alexander Isak's painful exit.The club were going to struggle to find a like-for-like replacement for Isak after he pushed to join Liverpool for a British record £125m. It was viewed as an "impossible" task internally.But Howe sought to bring in two strikers to share the load after Callum Wilson also moved on.There was recognition tha...