Joelinton was once a failing forward in a Newcastle shirt, but now he is a midfield general for Eddie Howe at St James’ Park.
It has been an unlikely turnaround for the Brazilian, who was actually named as the Magpies’ Player of the Season for his efforts.
The 26-year-old has since proven that he isn’t just a flash in the pan. Joelinton has maintained his level of performance this season, and has played an important in role in Newcastle sitting third in the Premier League. He was outstanding in our final game before the World Cup, with Alan Shearer describing him as ‘dominant‘ in the 1-0 win over Chelsea.
Newcastle have enjoyed a remarkable 12 months, with plenty of players flying since Howe’s appointment. However, no one epitomises the Magpies’ resurgence better than Joelinton.
But the moment that kicked off his transformation into midfielder extraordinaire was actually caused by an unlikely hero.
Ciaran Clark’s red card forced Joelinton to become a midfielder
November 30th 2021. Newcastle United vs Norwich City. St James’ Park. Howe’s side were bottom of the league, desperately in need of their first win of the season.
It felt like the perfect time to get it, up against a relegation rival. But disaster struck after just nine minutes.
With Teemu Pukki racing through on goal after a mistake from Ciaran Clark, the defender endured a moment of madness. He pulled the Norwich striker down, and was given a straight red card for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Clark made no attempt to get the ball, meaning a red was the only option.
It was a huge blow for Newcastle, and for Howe who had to alter his side. On came Federico Fernandez for Ryan Fraser, with the Magpies seemingly set to go 4-4-1 with Joelinton out wide.
But instead, Howe did something different. He went 4-3-2, with Allan Saint-Maximin joining Callum Wilson in attack. Joelinton was then given an unfamiliar role, deployed in midfield alongside Jonjo Shelvey and Joe Willock.
It was a bold decision by Howe, and one that baffled the fans inside St James’ Park. But it proved to be the right one by the manager, with Joelinton playing like a seasoned veteran in the middle of the park.
His incredible energy allowed him to cover so much ground, while he displayed impeccable timing and anticipation to win back possession.
It was astonishing, and this planted the seed for Joelinton to become a permanent midfielder. We have since seen him play out wide on occasions, but his best position is centre midfield. He has a brilliant relationship with Bruno Guimaraes, while he has gone from heckled number nine to fan favourite.
One year ago, a Ciaran Clark red card looked like it was going to cost Newcastle badly. Instead, it made the £40million Joelinton worth every penny.
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