Lots of Newcastle United supporters were left unconvinced by Joelinton and whether he can live up to his £40million price tag after a ‘toothless’ performance against Chelsea on Saturday.
Joelinton joined the Magpies for a club-record £40m in the summer from TSG Hoffenheim (BBC), where he scored 11 times in 35 games across all competitions last season (TransferMarkt).
The 2018/19 campaign was the Brazilian’s first term as a regular fixture of the Hoffenheim squad, after featuring just once for the Bundesliga outfit on the back of moving to Germany from academy side Sport Club do Recife in 2015.
Steve Bruce has trusted Joelinton to lead his attack in each Premier League game since the 23-year-old’s arrival on Tyneside, but has only seen his faith repaid with one goal, coming in week three of the season away to Tottenham Hotspur.
While Joelinton’s strike in North London decided the game in Newcastle’s favour, he has struggled in front of the goal in recent weeks, with no shots recorded against either of Leicester City or Manchester United (WhoScored).
The former Brazil youth international managed to add one shot to his haul against Chelsea on Saturday, albeit off target, to bring his tally for the term to 14 with an average of one every 51.2 minutes.
Joelinton also won four of ten aerial duels at Stamford Bridge, was dispossessed twice, completed 17 of 20 passes and was called offside once, per WhoScored data.
Newcastle fans were left unsure of his potential following his display in West London, with one supporter noting that Joelinton is ‘actually worse than Joselu’ while another claimed the 6 ft 1 Brazilian has displayed nothing thus far to suggest he is worth the fee paid.
Here are some of the messages shared…
Joelinton is actually worse than Joselu #NUFC #CHENEW
— •Owen Southern• (@OwenSouthern11) October 19, 2019
Joelinton is shocking
— Mac. (@MccreadyGlenn) October 19, 2019
#joelinton . Please you are not good enough . Should have started gayle . Least hes got some pace
— Gareth Miller (@geemiller71) October 19, 2019
To be honest joelinton’s been shocking in recent games. Everyone goes on about miggy but joelinton’s been dire like his first touch is all over he’s never in the box he’s struggling to hold it up at times. I do really hope he comes good becuase I like him #nufc
— KING KIE (@kingkie1994) October 19, 2019
Imagine paying 40m for R̶i̶v̶i̶e̶r̶e̶ J̶o̶s̶e̶l̶u̶ Joelinton. Useless. #NUFC
— Rob Green (@RobGreen92) October 19, 2019
Joelinton looking like one of the worst signings in the club’s history. £40m for…, absolutely nowt #NUFC
— Dave Parish (@paz_parish) October 19, 2019
Everytime someone misses a shot I have to take some deep breaths and not cry about the fact we paid £40mil for Joelinton but we couldn’t keep @salorondon23 Missing him being a solid tank and scoring goals. #NUFC #CHENEW
— Jessica Russell (@jesscakatie) October 19, 2019
I think I’ll upset a lot of #NUFC fans on here but Joelinton I’m beginning g to think if he’s going to make it here for a lad who’s 6’2 built like a beast I’ve been trying to support him but is he really going to make a difference he should be bullying defenders & not seen it
— john_NUFC42 (@john_nufc42) October 19, 2019
Don’t wanna write-off Joelinton this early in his #NUFC career but he doesn’t look like he has an inch of fight in his body. Very worrying
— Joe Buck (@16joebuck) October 19, 2019
Said it for a while now but Carroll and Gayle will be our strikers as Joelinton and Almiron are just toothless . #nufc
— MichaelMM (@mickmar29) October 19, 2019
