Joelinton’s standing as a Newcastle United fan favouriate is ‘special’ given how fans felt about him just six months ago. The Brazilian netted a brace against Norwich City last weekend to continue his good run of form under Eddie Howe.
Those goals came on his 100th appearance for Newcastle, and while he is now enjoying a good spell in the XI, it’s no secret that his first year on Tyneside was tough going. Yet under Howe, Joelinton has looked like a different player and the very fact he was the last to leave the pitch against Norwich - with fans singing his name - shows just how far he has come.
Speaking on The Everything is Black and White Podcast, Newcastle United editor Aaron Stokes picked up on Joelinton’s change in fortune. “That’s what makes it even better because everybody had written him off. There was nobody that said, let's move him to midfield. And there was nobody that said: 'let's just give him time, he'll eventually get there' - and that’s what makes it so special.
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“There’s a brilliant video [against Norwich] of Joelinton standing in the middle of the pitch by himself with the full away end chanting his name. When you look at when Bruno came in, he hadn't even played a minute for Newcastle but his name was already been sung. He was coming out of interviews abroad saying ‘the fans love me already.’
“For Joelinton, it was the complete opposite - he’s been vilified and booed but now is one of the fans' favourites. He's got his own chant. He's got the banners and he's got the Joelinton shirts, and it does generally look like he's touched by it and I think that's just what makes it even better - the fact you can tell that he really really does feel it and is really is appreciative.”
With the season coming to an end and Newcastle all but safe, attention is turning to the summer transfer window. It was largely expected that Newcastle would look to sign another midfielder but with Joelinton proving to be an asset in the middle of the park, he may well have caused a change in Howe's plans. In recent games, Joelinton has played on the left and up-top as well as the role in central midfield, which suggests Howe is beginning to experiment with his team selection to see what is best going forward.
Speaking about the future of Joelinton, Stokes noted: "If I was Howe what I would probably be doing is trying to keep him in the midfield as much as I can. But I think it's good having that option if you want to drop Chris Wood and Wilson isn't available, or if you want to drop Maxi, or Fraser isn't fit, that you have him as a viable option going forward and you aren't just sticking him in there for the sake of it.
"If he can continue to prove that he can play in that position then what a boost that will be for Howe to have him in those sorts of different areas of the pitch."
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