Eddie Howe reveals the reason Bruno Guimaraes hasn't been at his best

Newcastle United has had a rather poor start to their 2024/25 Premier League campaign. Even though they have been a bit fortunate in terms of results, their overall performance has been on a down incline, with the one against Fulham being the best example. While it had been predicted much earlier that their fate wouldn't be with them for long, the disappointing loss at the Craven Cottage proved it.

Eddie Howe reveals the reason Bruno Guimaraes hasn't been at his best

Unlike the last season, where their core players had been performing all around, so far this season, most of the club's big names have failed to create an impact. Be it star forward Alexander Isak, wing star Anthony Gordon, or Club Captain Bruno Guimaraes, all have been far from their best levels recently. Although Isak's poor run and an out of Gordon are subject to significant concern, Guimaraes' bad spell is the most concerning one currently.

Being one of the best number 6 midfielders in the world, Guimaraes earned the club's armband ahead of the 2024/25 season. However, unlike everyone's expectations, the Brazilian ace had been rather off since his decent display in the season opener against Southampton. The Magpies boss, Eddie Howe, being much concerned about his form, talked about why he has been going through such a phase.

Mentioning Bruno's hectic workload this summer, Howe spoke,

"“For someone like Bruno, he had a very compacted summer; he had a lot going on.“ He comes back, really short of training time, straight into the games. And then, probably at a time when we’d want to do some real work with him, he goes back away, long flights.""

- Eddie Howe

As Howe mentioned, the most probable reason for the midfielder's poor form has been his heavy workload. Not to forget, the Brazilian ace had been an active component of his nation in Copa America despite them getting eliminated sooner than expected. Moreover, during the September international break, he had to fly back to participate in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers as well.

Clearly, it has been a difficult summer for the Magpies captain, with him not getting the ideal preparation time to convert much for Newcastle, as is expected from him. However, manager Howe further mentioned that, as has been the midfielder's desire to get back to his best, Guimaraes is working well for it, and things might change soon.

In Howe's words,

"“Bruno is someone who is very keen to do well. He knows he has to try and give more to the team. I think there is a real desire from him to help the team and get back to his very best levels.""

- Eddie Howe

Given that Newcastle are set to face Manchester City at home in their upcoming fixture, the game might be the perfect time for Guimaraes to initiate a new start. Being the talented superstar he is and his willingness to give everything possible in his performance, Newcastle fans would hope that the midfielder's efforts materialize with him playing a crucial role in the important matchday against Manchester City.