Alan Shearer laid into Newcastle star after signing, now he’s undroppable

Newcastle United have made superb progress under Eddie Howe since the Englishman took over at St James’ Park in November 2021.

They have reached a domestic cup final, the 2022/23 Carabao Cup showpiece at Wembley, although ran out runners-up to Manchester United, and qualified for the Champions League last season.

Howe’s record is impressive during his time as Magpies boss. The Englishman has managed the club for 131 games, winning 66 of those, drawing 28 and suffering 37 defeats.

Many players have transformed under the tutelage of the former Bournemouth boss. One of those players is Joelinton, who did not leave great first impressions but has become a key player under Howe.

First impressions of Joelinton

There was always likely to be a lot of expectation on the Brazilian, given he made the move from Hoffenheim to Newcastle for what was a club record fee at the time, although that has now been broken.

He cost the Magpies £40m in 2019 and signed an initial six-year contract. Originally, the South American, who came through the ranks at Sport Recife, was signed as a striker, but he struggled to adapt to the Premier League.

His record at centre forward in that famous black and white shirt is underwhelming, to say the least. The 28-year-old played three seasons up front for the Magpies, 74 games in total, but scored just 12 goals and grabbed seven assists.

That underwhelming record, and his big transfer fee, led to some criticism from the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer and Newcastle legend, Alan Shearer. The former striker believed Joelinton was “offering nothing” back in 2021.

Those were certainly scathing words from one of the all-time great Premier League players, who also admitted he’s a player who’s left him “screaming” in the past. Since then, however, it has been a completely different story for the Brazil international. He has been a man transformed under Howe.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.

Joelinton’s record under Howe

After the tough start experienced by the 28-year-old, he has completely turned his career at St James’ Park on its head, thanks to a genius move from Howe. That was to convert the Brazilian to a midfielder, a move which has worked out massively in his favour.

In an interview in April 2024 with the BBC, Howe cited some of the reasons why Joelinton’s move to the middle of the park has worked so much in his favour. The English boss explained that the Magpies man “has strength and speed” and the fact he “is like a brick wall” works to his advantage. Howe claimed that the “physical side is probably his biggest strength”, and it is hard to disagree.

According to Fbref, the 28-year-old is a tall player, standing at 6 foot 3, and is heavy, too, weighing roughly 168lbs. This physicality will certainly help him in the Premier League, one of Europe’s more physical leagues.

Indeed, his record under Howe speaks for itself and shows that he has repaid the faith of the Magpies boss. The midfielder has played 99 times under the English manager, scoring 16 goals and grabbing seven assists.

In total, of matches he has played 45 minutes or more in, Joelinton has played 73 times in midfield for the Magpies, in a number 10 role, a deeper lying number eight and even, on occasion, a destroyer at the base of midfield.

It has been a spectacular turnaround for the 28-year-old in a Newcastle shirt. From being berated by Shearer for bad performances up front, to becoming an undroppable figure of Howe’s side, he is now one of the Premier League’s most underrated midfielders.