Former Newcastle defender Warren Barton has claimed that Joelinton needs a strike partner to get the best out of him in the Premier League.
Barton says that he watched him in the Bundesliga last season and claims that he does not have the blistering pace or hold-up play required to play as a lone front man.
Speaking to The Chronicle, Barton said this:
I saw him at Hoffenheim when he was there last season – there were glimpses of the player he could be.
He needs someone next to him because he’s not got blistering pace, and he’s not going to dribble past the defenders.
He’s not a Ginola, or a Les Ferdinand , that’s going to hold the ball; he needs some support.
READ NEWCASTLE VERDICT
Should Steve Bruce play Yoshi Muto alongside Joelinton up front?
If Joelinton continues to struggle, it is certainly an option that is worth exploring for Bruce in the coming weeks/months. Joelinton has only scored once in four appearances so far and looked extremely isolated in the opening games against Arsenal and Norwich.
Miguel Almiron does not offer enough support to Joelinton, often finding himself too deep to come in and receive a pass from the Brazilian – leaving the former Hoffenheim man with far too much to do on the ball.
If Muto was brought in to play alongside Joelinton he could make runs to get on the end of flick-ons or come close to his strike partner and play off him – allowing Newcastle to move up the pitch quicker and be able to hold the ball up when under the cosh in games.
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