In the space of 10 months, Eddie Howe has transformed the Magpies from relegation strugglers to a team to be reckoned with. Of their 21 league games in 2022 to date, they have won 13, drawn three and lost only five for a total return of 42 points.
For comparison, in the first half of their season last year they earned just 11 points with one win, eight draws and ten losses from their opening 19 games. That tally is also the most Newcastle have accumulated from any 19-game Premier League sequence in a decade. The turnaround has been nothing short of spectacular and the Englishman has played a crucial role in the change of fortunes on Tyneside.
The financial impetus behind the club now has also played its part. Bringing in Trippier, Targett, and Burn in January made a huge difference in a defence that no longer gives goals away for free. In the first 19 league games of 2021/22, United conceded a massive 42 goals but in the last 18 games, all played this year, they only conceded 19 goals, and 10 of those were in two away games.
But perhaps the biggest shift, as well as the most symbolic one, has been the acquisition of Bruno Guimaraes in midfield; the move that signified the dawning of a new era at St.James’ Park. The Brazilian has been a revelation since being added to Howe’s squad and has provided his manager with the necessary tools to implement his shift in approach.
The Magpies only signed Bruno in January and won’t be looking to part with the man they aim to build a team around anytime soon. The Newcastle midfielder’s performances have been vital in the club moving forward to the point of being in contention for European spots.
According to UK betting sites, Newcastle are 8/1 to qualify for European football. He’s happy on Tyneside and having only arrived from Lyon for £33.5million is under contract until 2026. The Brazilian has garnered plenty of attention since then, very recently in fact from Spanish champions Real Madrid whose interest has been downplayed by Howe who is adamant the midfielder is staying put. But what are some of the reasons the star man is sought after by some of Europe’s biggest clubs?
His hard work off the ball for one; the midfielder has made more tackles and won more duels than any other Premier League player since making his first start – leading his club’s new-found approach to winning possession. Since his first Premier League start on the 10th of March he has made 47 tackles, won 117 duels, and won 40 fouls. Stats can’t tell you everything about a player’s game and attributes but even so, he has accrued an enviable list of numbers there. On the other side of the coin, he is the focal point of Newcastle’s attack in possession.
The 24-year-old averages 70 touches and 11 successful passes in the final third per 90 minutes – totals no Newcastle player has managed in the last four seasons. He has made seven through balls and completed 27 dribbles; only Kevin De Bruyne has made more through balls. It is no surprise that the midfielder has won 13 of his 21 league appearances, that’s as many as the club has won in their previous 55 games across three seasons.
The stats are overwhelmingly positive and while Newcastle keeping hold of a player of Guimaraes’ calibre for the long-term will ultimately be determined by the club’s success going forward, for now, they can simply enjoy the talismanic performances on the pitch that have propelled the Toon into the European picture.
Being taken over by a consortium with access to billions of pounds was always going to cheer the Toon faithful up after 14 years of regression and depression under the hated Mike Ashley, but the new owners have played their cards right to turn St James’ Park into a fortress once more.
Newcastle’s lack of ambition under Ashley means that it has been a long time since top-quality international footballers turned out for the club but Bruno appears to have bucked that trend. Toon fans had gotten used to seeing journeymen turning out for their team but Guimaraes has been classy the moment he stepped through the door and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Paul Merson speculated before the Brazilian’s first match whether he would turn out to be the player he was billed as.
“He’s never played in the Premier League before and he could be an absolute gem of a player and we’ll sit back and think what a result Newcastle had in getting him,” said Merson. “Or they could go down and we’ll be saying they needed to get someone who was ready-made for the Premier League. And that’s why we’ll only know if this window was a success over time and if they stay up. I just don’t think they are a shoo-in to stay up. When you’ve spent all the money they have, I’d expect them to be definite to stay up, but I just don’t see that.”
It’s fair to say Bruno answered his critics emphatically and had pundits like Merson convinced, singing his praises soon after. Merson told Sky Sports: “He looks a player. When you watch players play, you can see the ones who can play and he does look the part. He did one piece of magic, got the ball, opened it up and tried to bend it in the far corner and it went wide. He could be something special at Newcastle.”
The stats do confirm that Newcastle have made significant improvements as a goal threat and it’s because they have raised their average possession in large part thanks to the work of the Brazilian midfielder. Howe has encouraged his players to move the ball quicker and coached them to be more expressive, which had led to the creation of better chances and more goals being scored. The improvements Howe has made to the collective are admirable, especially when you consider the pressure he was under to achieve short-term results. A tough run of fixtures will be a good litmus test for how far Howe has come in establishing Newcastle as a top ten side in the Premier League but should their star man be on top form and they come out the other side with a decent return of points, then hopes of a European spot come the end of the season might not look so farfetched.
