Newcastle United struck victory late on against Fulham to escape from the lower levels of the Premier League and build on the Champions League victory over Benfica, which reminded fans of their attacking quality.
Though injury-hit Fulham proved pests at St. James’ Park on Saturday, nearly escaping with the spoils shared before Bruno Guimaraes’ late goal, slotted smoothly into the net after fine work from substitute William Osula, Benfica were outclassed, and Eddie Howe is beginning to get a tune out of his side.
The Magpies are all about evolution, and the rise of Sandro Tonali and Lewis Miley’s newfound confidence have seen the midfield refashioned, a glimpse of things to come shown over these past few weeks.
But evolution may come at some players’ expense, and Joelinton’s place in the Tyneside engine room is not quite so nailed-on as it once was.
Joelinton's Newcastle future
Joelinton’s is one of the most rousing success stories in the Premier League. Written off after his first couple of seasons in Newcastle as the club’s record signing, the wasteful striker has been repurposed as a physical beast of a midfielder, combining strength and smartness to bulldoze through to the final third.
But the 29-year-old has lacked clarity this season, and Miley’s form at number six and Jacob Murphy’s hints of promise in a dynamic midfield berth suggest the Brazil international may not be quite as indispensable as he once was.
Indeed, United blogger Thomas Hammond has even gone as far as to suggest that Joelinton might have reached “the start of the end”, still as crafty and physical as ever, but undoubtedly the weakest link in a midfield also comprised of Guimaraes and Tonali.
Joelinton has played 11 matches in all competitions this season, and he has only scored twice, both strikes coming against Bradford City in the Carabao Cup.
This is a natural part of any footballer’s career. Joelinton has plied his trade for the club for five years, and he has been an instrumental part of the rise.
But he’s not the only one who might be on borrowed time. In fact, there’s a mainstay who’s been on Tyneside for even longer, and he too is in danger of being replaced.
The Newcastle "legend" on borrowed time
Newcastle have signed some corkers over the past four years, but Howe’s brilliance can be found in the rebirth of several existing stars.
Joelinton is one, while Jacob Murphy is a marvel in polishing his skillset and becoming a purposeful player in a European squad. But Fabian Schar’s rise is just as impressive.
Once hailed as a “walking mistake” by journalist John Gibson, the 33-year-old arrived on a three-year deal from Deportivo La Coruna in 2018 for a nominal fee and ebbed and flowed through those first years on Tyneside.
But he kept working and won Howe over when the English tactician was appointed, not only with 237 total appearances in black and white to his name, but with 21 goals and ten assists and only Guimaraes above him on the outing tally since Howe’s arrival.
1
Bruno Guimaraes
164
2
Fabian Schar
160
3
Dan Burn
159
4
Jacob Murphy
145
5
Joelinton
139
But for all this experience, Newcastle’s newbies are starting to shine. Take Malick Thiaw, who arrived from AC Milan in a £34m deal this summer and has won Tyneside over with strong and dynamic defensive performances. The 24-year-old exudes composure and style on the ball.
A continuation of these five-star displays may make Schar’s berth in the team somewhat redundant. The Swiss international, after all, had sat through three of his past four available fixtures on the bench before being used as a second-half substitute during the weekend win over Fulham.
For Schar and Dan Burn to have forged such a steely alliance at the back is quite the thing. Below you see the partnership listed among the division’s greatest, and that duo have worked wonders in spite of injuries to the likes of Sven Botman.
As things stand, Schar, hailed as a “true legend of the club” by one Newcastle content creator, is among the list of ageing Newcastle players who face the end of their Toon careers come the close of the campaign.
Howe has rooted his project in the experience and intelligence of his mature squad, but with the likes of Guimaraes and Tonali and Botman all younger but cultured members of the squad, it may be that veterans such as Schar could depart having given so much to the city, and leaving at the right time at that.
Everton
19
28.0
Aston Villa
23
27.9
Newcastle
21
27.5
Fulham
22
27.5
Burnley
22
27.0
Whether the defender pens another extension on his current deal remains to be seen, but there’s no question that his significance in Howe’s squad is diminishing after many years of tireless service.
He is less than two months away from his 34th birthday, and while there’s a sense he could still play a part in Newcastle’s journey, Schar may grow warm to the prospect of trying his hand somewhere new before the autumn years of his career.
like Joelinton, Schar might be on borrowed time, with signs that he is falling from a once-untouchable position in Howe’s line-up. But, as with Joelinton, the Switzerland native has worked so hard over the past several years, and if he is approaching the final stretch, he would leave with his head held high and with silverware in tow.