Eddie Howe surprised by Callum Wilson and Joelinton impact v West Ham

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Eddie Howe rotated his Newcastle United side against West Ham on Wednesday night, and was made to look like an absolute genius by Callum Wilson and Joelinton.

There were two changes to the Newcastle team that beat Manchester United. Wilson replaced Alexander Isak, while Joelinton came in for Joe Willock.

Howe made two brave decisions, and they both paid off massively. It didn’t take long either, with both Wilson and Joelinton on the scoresheet within 13 minutes.

By the final whistle it was 5-1, and the incoming duo had scored a brace each. Wilson celebrated his first with the macarena, while Joelinton endured an agonizing VAR check for offside. They then scored again in the second half, securing an emphatic victory for the Magpies.

Eddie Howe did not expect Callum Wilson and Joelinton to be so influential

After the game, Howe spoke to NUFC TV. He was asked if he expected Wilson and Joelinton to have as big an impact as they did.

“No I didn’t,” he said.

“You hope that they come in and perform well and the team benefits from their presence. Seeing Callum score so early gave us a big lift. I thought he played very well today. I thought Joelinton – great to see him back in the team. They’re two huge players for us.

“It’s great from my perspective to be able to share the load, to be able to rotate the squad slightly with the quality that we have.”

Newcastle leaning on their squad

For both Wilson and Joelinton to score a brace must have been very validating for Howe. He easily could have stuck with the same team. Isak and Willock are in tremendous form, and dropping them to the bench could have backfired.

But Howe made changes, and it paid off. Now he has even more players that are full of confidence right now.

As we head into the business end of the season, it is vital that Howe uses his squad. We suddenly have a bit of depth, and it could be what pushes us over the line in the race to qualify for the Champions League.

It means Howe has plenty of options to choose from now, and it will be very interesting to see who he goes with against Brentford on Saturday. Both Wilson and Joelinton will be desperate to retain their places, and have done all they can with two goals each.