As a Newcastle United supporter, you might be curious (you're not) who my favorite player is. It's a tie between Allan Saint-Maximin and Joelinton.
ASM represents everything that's beautiful about this game. He's a wizard on the dribble, capable of conjuring something out of nothing and always worth tuning in for.
Big Joe isn't really any of those things. He's all heart, perseverance in the face of unmitigated failure and the inventor of the $54 million striker-turned-inside-midfield-destroyer position.
After a return of just over 10 goals in well over 100 Newcastle appearances, Eddie Howe reshaped Joelinton into Jonjo Shelvey's personal envoy, and the beautiful thing is it's coincided with the club's mini-resurgence (four games unbeaten now).
It's working — although the acquisition of $54 million Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimarães threatens the role of our protagonist — and we still get see Joelinton get in the attacking third from time to time, where he dribbles the ball pretty well and then generally does something that makes you laugh.
On Tuesday against Everton he completed a pass by cracking the ball off his own face.
Joelinton's shot hits his own head. #nufc
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) February 8, 2022
⚽️ | JOELINTON MISS pic.twitter.com/R6vTS5ZYpg
— Football For You (@FootbaIlForYou) February 8, 2022
Nah I'm fuckin screaming here like. #nufc #NEWEVE pic.twitter.com/u2scxCbxPy
— G. Pirlo (@Ginger_Pirlo) February 8, 2022
It's not as good as Chicharito's face goal, no.
