Newcastle United were handed an injury boost today, with Joelinton finally able to return to first-team training. The Brazilian has missed every competitive game under Matthias Jaissle’s so far with a niggling injury he picked up in preseason.
But, whilst his return is obviously a positive thing and gives the Magpies another option in their problematic midfield area, there are question marks about exactly where he will fit into Matthias Jaissle’s jigsaw puzzle.
Joelinton’s previous role
Under Eddie Howe, Joelinton had a very clear and defined role.
Playing alongside Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes, the 30-year-old was largely the complement to both, the enabler if you will. He did the dirty work, hard running and looked to give the ball to those who could then go and unlock the game.
There were, of course, also the times where he was used in a sort of hybrid role on the left hand side, often in tandem with Joe Willock in a partnership that operated very well together.
But no matter where he played, there was always the feeling that Joelinton was a vital part of the system and that Newcastle would cope a lot worse without his presence.
Unfortunately for him, I’m not sure that will be the case when he returns, which raises the question about what his role will be.
Why Joelinton might not fit
Thus far, Jaissle has played both a double pivot with a number 10, and a single pivot with two advanced eights.
Of those two structures, the latter is probably the one Joelinton would fit into best, with his attributes lending themselves well to the sort of box-to-box role we saw Joe Willock perform against Hull City.
But I would suggest that Jaissle is more likely to play a double pivot for the most part, which is where it becomes a little bit of a problem for Joelinton.
Jaissle requires his midfielders to be comfortable on the ball, be able to pick it up in build-up off the centre-backs and look to progress it vertically. That tactic is something even players like new man Nico Gonzalez have found difficult to do on a consistent basis so far, and a look at Joelinton’s stats would suggest he would face similar problems.
The Brazilian isn’t a particularly strong progressive passer, and has never been deemed a strong profile in possession, which makes him slotting into a midfield that requires technical and ball-playing ability seem rather far-fetched.
Now, you may be reading that and make the observation that, if Joelinton was to start, it would be with a view to doing the aforementioned dirty work and preventing opposition from bypassing the midfield easily like we saw against Leeds.
But, although he is known for that side of the game, he doesn’t have a particularly strong statistical outlook when it comes to winning duels or regaining possession for his side.
In fact, when comparing last season’s stats for both Nico Gonzalez and Joelinton, the former outscores the Brazilian comfortably in both metrics, sitting 20% higher among peers when it comes to duels, and ranking in the top 35% of midfielders in the top seven leagues for possession won, whereas Joelinton only ranks in the top 50%. (Stats courtesy of DataMB)
Though not everything can be explained by stats, it does provide a pretty interesting dynamic that suggests Joelinton could struggle to make it into either of the two midfield positions ahead of others.
Where Joelinton could be perfect
It isn’t all negative for big Joe’s position in the side, though, and there is an opposing argument for where he could be perfect for Jaissle.
If we take the Leeds game I mentioned earlier for example, when Gonzalez went off in the 19th minute, the Magpies midfield almost collapsed.
Steur and Miley were being overrun and they looked like a young, naive pairing being thrown in at the deep end.
What the Magpies really could have done with in that game was a bit of physicality, a bit of robustness and someone to put in an old-fashioned midfielder’s performance.
Having the profile of an experienced no-nonsense player like the Brazilian can be a mightily useful asset in those away games where we need a bit of bite and impetus.
Joelinton will still be VERY important
With Joelinton now touching 30, perhaps we have reached a point where he doesn’t have to have a secure starting spot to be a useful influence on games.
The Brazilian understands the club, the culture and can be that experienced mentor to some of the younger players.
He has the sort of grit and playstyle that any young player should be looking to learn from and he may actually have a big role behind the scenes in stamping out some of that timidity that has crept into the young squad at times this season.
Not only that but he feels like exactly the sort of specialised asset who could be a reliable option to call upon when Jaissle needs to see a game out, or even when he just needs a bit more physicality and chaos in the central areas.
So, whilst Joelinton coming back from injury may not spell a shake-up in Jaissle’s starting XI, there is a lot to suggest that the Brazilian still has a big job to do at Newcastle United this season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google