For most Newcastle United fans, Bruno Guimaraes is the club’s most important player.
He is the Magpies’ talisman, and someone who Eddie Howe believes is genuinely world class.
That is high praise for Bruno Guimaraes, who has also received a lot of love from Toon legend Alan Shearer. He even admitted that he would prefer to sell Alexander Isak over the Brazil international if he had to choose.
But that does not mean he thinks Bruno is Newcastle United’s most important player.
In fact, he thinks that honour belongs to Joelinton and Nick Pope, who have both been absent for months due to injury.
Alan Shearer says Newcastle United are majorly missing Joelinton and Nick Pope
During a Q&A for The Athletic, Shearer was asked where he thinks Newcastle will finish this season. The 53-year-old admitted he could not say, and looked at how much the injuries of Joelinton and Pope have hindered the Magpies.
“I honestly don’t know in terms of where Newcastle might finish,” he wrote.
“They’ve just been so unpredictable. Obviously I’m hoping for the very best, they’ve got some decent fixtures that they shouldn’t be scared of. In fact, they should relish them.
“The injury situation means they have not been able to have a settled team and that’s why they’ve shipped far too many goals and been so unpredictable. Defensively they have been rotten at times, whereas last season they were mean and nasty and horrible. That’s the difference.
“Nick Pope and Joelinton are massive misses. If we’ve had those two players fit, I think we might have got by, even if we lost another two players instead – even Bruno Guimaraes’ excellence. Their losses have been so important. There’s nobody else who can do what Pope and Joelinton do for Newcastle.”
Shearer makes a great point about Newcastle’s injuries
It seems outlandish, but Shearer actually makes a great point about the players who Newcastle are missing.
Joelinton and Pope do things that no other Toon player can do, and that has resulted in a real dip in form during their absence. Defensively, we have been a shambles since Pope suffered that shoulder injury back in December. That is because Martin Dubravka is not as good at being a sweeper keeper, and it has negatively impacted the way Eddie Howe’s team defends.
As for Joelinton, no one can match his energy and power in midfield. Not only that, but he also impacts the way Newcastle defend. Dan Burn has received nowhere near the same protection he got last season, and it has resulted in him struggling.
If Joelinton and Pope were fit right now, Newcastle’s season would look very different. In fact, it would look so different that Shearer thinks you could even take Bruno out of the team. That might be a stretch, but it sums up just how vital Joelinton and Pope are.
Hopefully they are back soon. Pope is due back at the end of April, and it has been claimed that Joelinton could feature before the end of the season.
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