Newcastle United had midfield star Bruno Guimaraes to thank yet again on Saturday as the dependable Brazilian bailed his inconsistent Premier League team out once more.
Without the South American popping up with a last-ditch effort, the Magpies would have likely had to make do with a disappointing share of the points versus Fulham.
In the right place, at the right time, to sneak an effort home after a William Osula shot nearly caught Bernd Leno out, Guimaraes has only further cemented his reputation as a Newcastle “talisman” with his heroic moment, as Match of the Day pundit Michael Carrick glowingly labelled him when assessing the dramatic 2-1 win.
Away from the beloved Toon captain, though, it isn’t entirely rosy in the Newcastle midfield ranks at the moment, with Joelinton showing visible signs of rust.
Joelinton's decline at Newcastle
When looking over some of Newcastle’s recent, modern greats, Guimaraes’ fellow compatriot is surely right at the top of the list as one of the Toon’s most loved talents.
Indeed, the £40m battler has now tallied up a mammoth 232 games for Howe’s men, with 31 goals and 21 assists also coming his way, per Transfermarkt. Still, Newcastle won’t want to be bogged down by living in the past too much, with the number seven looking to be “nowhere near his best” so far this campaign, according to Magpies-based reporter Mark Douglas.
It has been a sad decline for the 29-year-old so far this campaign, with both Sandro Tonali and the aforementioned Guimaraes remaining at the very peak of their powers. In stark contrast, Joelinton doesn’t even have a single goal or assist next to his name so far this season in the Premier League, after collecting a weighty seven goal contributions last campaign.
Eddie Howe is clearly frustrated with his stalwart’s drop-off in form, having hooked Joelinton off at the half-time mark against Brighton and Hove Albion in the middle of October. Moreover, while Guimaraes stole the limelight versus Marco Silva’s men, his waning counterpart only managed to muster up one weak effort on Leno’s net.
He did win ten duels, in all fairness, but with Joelinton edging towards being 30 years of age next year, it could soon be an apt time for Newcastle to be on the hunt for some more midfield reinforcements, with the likes of Joe Willock, too, in reserve no longer cut out for the bright lights of the top-flight.
Rumours are circulating that Howe and Co. have their eye on one particular EFL star to boost their midfield options, as a dream Joelinton heir is potentially in the works.
Newcastle plot move for special star
Ross Wilson will view January as the perfect time to try and tie down some of the Toon’s best assets, as well, with talk now centring on the new Newcastle sporting director attempting to iron out an extended contract for Guimaraes.
Reports also suggest that Middlesbrough star Hayden Hackney is on the agenda, with TBR Football recently revealing that the Premier League outfit is monitoring the tenacious Boro ace ahead of a potential January move, alongside top-flight rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United, and Crystal Palace.
If Newcastle are searching for fresh blood to eventually replace Joelinton, they would strike gold in landing Hackney, with the “special” 23-year-old – as he was once labelled by analyst Ben Mattinson – very much capable of a fierce strike like the relentless Brazilian, as seen in this superb effort being rifled home last season.
With 111 Championship appearances now under his belt, and with two goals and two assists heading his way this season for Rob Edwards’ men, it really does feel as if Hackney might be the revamp Howe and Co. need centrally, so they don’t have to depend on a diminishing Joelinton as much.
Games played
12
Goals scored
2
Assists
2
Touches*
80.4
Accurate passes*
52.0 (87%)
Key passes*
1.7
Ball recoveries*
5.3
Total duels won*
4.1
Staring at the above table in great detail further shows off Hackney’s obvious similarities to those of Joelinton, with 5.3 ball recoveries averaged per Championship clash definitely backing up Edwards’ claims that his number seven is a talent with “loads of energy”.
At his Toon prime, that was what Joelinton was very much known for. Yet, he pales in comparison here right now, with only 3.9 ball recoveries averaged on his end in the league above.
Of course, it’s a risk to assume that Hackney will immediately be as forceful in the Premier League. But, it could be a gamble worth exploring, rather than holding out hope on Joelinton returning to his intimidating peak.