At a glance
- Joelinton’s early days after joining Newcastle
- The position changed that transformed the Brazilian
- A possible Woltemade resurgence after position tweaks
Newcastle United midfielder Joelinton has backed teammate Nick Woltemade to come good despite a challenging spell on Tyneside.
The German arrived from VfB Stuttgart with high expectations but has struggled to find form and consistency, especially since the turn of the year. Despite his early flashes of brilliance, he has yet to convince the St James’ Park faithful.
However, Joelinton understands exactly what the German is going through and has completely backed him. The Brazilian knows just how to overcome adversity.
Joelinton draws on his own difficult start
The Brazilian midfielder’s early Newcastle career followed a remarkably similar path. Coming in as a striker for a £40m fee, Joelinton initially couldn’t justify his price tag and came under heavy criticism. With his lack of confidence and fewer than 10 goals in two seasons, questions were raised about his future at the club.
But it all changed for him when he was moved into midfield by Eddie Howe. Joelinton reinvented himself as a powerful, hard-working box-to-box midfielder.
This shift transformed him into one of Newcastle’s most important players. His resurgence has made him a fan favourite and a key part of the Magpies’ collective.
Joelinton has highlighted the pressure that comes with leading the line and adapting to a new league, suggesting the German is going through the same experience. Like the Brazilian once did, Woltemade has been asked to adjust his role, featuring not only as a centre forward but also in deeper or creative positions.
New life in a new position?
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe believes Woltemade will come good with the change in position. Joelinton, too, has praised the German amid being deployed in a deeper role. He said (via ChronicleLive):
“I think he has proved every game he has played that he is prepared to give everything to the team wherever he plays. It’s a great thing to see his commitment but hopefully he can continue to improve. If he keeps playing well it can only be a great thing for us.”
At just 24, Woltemade still has time to develop and refine his role within the squad.
The similarity in both their cases are clear. Both arrived as forwards, both struggled to hit the ground running, and both have been required to adapt tactically. Joelinton’s resurgence offers a blueprint for how a difficult start does not always define a player’s future.
With Joelinton publicly backing Woltemade, the Newcastle faithful may begin to see the bigger picture. If he can follow a similar path of adaptation and resilience, the club could still reap the rewards just as they did with the Brazilian.
