Eddie Howe believes that Joelinton could be a ‘huge player’ for Newcastle United going forward.
Newcastle kick off the Howe era tomorrow with a visit of Brentford.
The Magpies are 19th in the Premier League table and five points adrift of safety.
Goals are going to be massive if Howe is to keep United in the top flight.
But one of players who carries a goalscoring burden, Joelinton, has struggled up front since joining Newcastle.
The big Brazilian signed for the St James’s Park club in a £40 million deal in 2019 but has only netted six goals since – and none this season.
But Howe has revealed via a pre-match press conference that the big man – who earns £86,000 per week – has been impressing him behind the scenes.
I think he can be a huge player for us.
He said to BBC Sport: “From what I’ve seen in training he’s a technical player with very good feet and he’s intelligent. Unlocking that talent and ability are things I’m going to make assessments on but he’s got a big part in our future here.”
Second wind?
The good thing about a change of manager is that under-performing players under the last head coach may come to life.
Howe’s man-management skills are among the reasons why he was such a huge success at Bournemouth.
He knows how to get the best out of a lot of players and it’ll be fascinating to see whether the struggling Newcastle hitman can improve.
If it’s a case of confidence, this public shoutout will do more for Joelinton than anything else.
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