Anthony Gordon has defended himself against recent criticism, claiming that ‘perception can distort reality’.
The Newcastle winger has scored six times in the Champions League this season and only Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane have more.
However, Gordon has gone more than a year without a goal from open play in the Premier League, leading to inspection of his form by pundits, observers and supporters.
‘I think perception can sometimes distort reality a little bit,’ he countered, speaking from the Parc des Princes ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League tie against PSG. ‘I think people’s expectations of me have grown, and rightly so, and I’m completely fine with that. But I know I’m doing the right things every day. I try and do the right things, whether I’m flying or whether I’m not playing so well.
‘I try and give my best and the result, sometimes, is kind of out of my hands. I’m always playing against right backs who are elite themselves, so I know people expect a lot from me, but they’re also quite good players and they get paid quite well to stop me.’
Of the scrutiny, Gordon says he accepts most of it but does ignore social media.
Anthony Gordon has hit back at his critics following criticism of his run of form in the Premier League
‘I don’t mind it (media analysis),’ he said. ‘It’s not personal to me, it’s just your job, it’s what you’re meant to do. Part of trying to be great at something is you can take people’s opinions good or bad. If you can’t, then you’re probably not meant to be great.
‘I think I take it quite well. I don’t take it personal. I’m not a very sensitive person. I just try and focus on myself all the time, because that’s all I can do. The world we live in now, that just comes with the territory, it’s the nature of the beast.’
He added: ‘But I stay off social media, so it’s not that bad for me. I know a lot of players do use it. It is what you make it, but it’s not for me. I don’t care for people’s opinion, whether they love me or they don’t like me, it doesn’t bother me either way.
‘I like to just go off my own motivation, the the things that motivate me daily. But that comes from within for me. Some people can use the social media stuff for motivation, but that’s not my style.’
As for the difference in his scoring return between competitions, Gordon said: ‘I don’t have an answer for you, unfortunately. It’s just one of those things. I’m trying the exact same in both games. I’m trying to do the right things always. They’re just going in in the Champions League. I don’t have an answer for you.’
