Despite being only one game in – and Eddie Howe not even being physically at the game due to covid – it’s apparent the managerial change at Newcastle United will see vast changes to how the sides plays.
That means players who didn’t get much of a look-in towards the end of Steve Bruce’s run may get another chance to revive their Newcastle career and potentially thrive under Howe.
One player in particular could benefit from the new face in the dugout at St James’s Park. And looking at fans’ reactions after the Magpies’ 3-3 draw with newly promoted Brentford, Joelinton looks as if he could start to become the player Newcastle supporters hoped for.
Will the real Joelinton please stand up
The Brazilian signed for Newcastle in July 2019 for a club-record £40 million and was given the prestigious number 9 shirt worn by the likes of Alan Shearer, Jackie Milburn and Andy Cole. That was a lot of pressure for a player with no Premier League experience.
In his past two seasons he’s really struggled for goals and spent a lot of his time (especially his first season) as a sole striker, a position he didn’t play much for previous club Hoffenheim. By his second season, he featured less as Callum Wilson was now the main striker at Newcastle leaving Joelinton to sporadically feature as a wide man or second striker.
At the start of this season, the Brazilian was given the number 7 shirt, with Wilson in the 9. With the weight of the historic number literally off his back and a new manager in the dugout, things may finally be looking up for Joelinton.
In the lead up to the Brentford game, the record signing was praised by Howe. When talking about what he’d seen from Joelinton in training, Howe told Chronicle Live: “From what I’ve seen in training so far, he’s a technical player, very good feet,intelligent. Obviously the size he is as well helps from various perspectives.
“I think he’s got a real talent, a real ability. Unlocking that and making sure we can all see that, playing him in the right position, these are all things I’m going to have to make assessments on but, certainly, he’s going to have a big part in our future here.”
One game in and it already looks as though Howe has had a massive impact on Joelinton. The Brazilian’s general play looked much better than anything fans had seen previously.
The performance was topped with a goal in the 39th minute, which got Newcastle back level at 2-2. Considering this was his first game since Howe took charge of the Magpies, it seems Joelinton could thrive with Eddie Howe at the helm.
If the game against Brentford is anything to go by, it appears Newcastle will adopt a 3-4-3 formation. Joelinton will take one of the wide positions in the front three with Callum Wilson down the middle and Allan Saint-Maximin on the other wing.
This type of wide position is where he often played for Hoffenheim and many of his strongest performances came from there.
It’s going to be a long, hard season for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United. But a fresh face on the touchline could give Newcastle’s record signing the assurance and confidence he needs to help kick on his career.
Howe’s high praise of him in recent press conferences and his stand-out performance in his first game in charge indicates a new and improved Joelinton will be donning that famous black-and-white shirt.
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