Here are the latest Newcastle United headlines for November 20.
Howe's 'blue chip' players
Newcastle United's impressive start to the Premier League campaign has been built on a core of ten players. Eddie Howe's side are currently occupying a Champions League berth as we head into the winter break.
The pause for the World Cup in Qatar will give Newcastle players and staff a brief break before returning for a mini pre-season in December. The Toon have picked up where they left off last season and reaffirmed their place as one of the in-form teams in the Premier League for the calendar year of 2022.
Howe and his coaching staff have done an incredible job of transforming a stagnating side, with the help of a few additions. Newcastle have a relatively settled starting XI and that's shown by the blue chip players that the head coach regularly calls upon.
You can read the full story here.
Souness on ''horrible' job
Graeme Souness has admitted he is wary of a return to management almost 17 years after his Newcastle United exit. Freddy Shepherd replaced Sir Bobby Robson with the Liverpool legend in September 2004 due to a successful four-year reign at Blackburn Rovers.
The 69-year-old had emerged as a promising manager, with spells at Liverpool, Rangers, Benfica and Galatasaray, alongside his Rovers stint, giving Souness a commendable CV to go with an established playing career. However, to say his 18-month spell in the North East did not go to plan would be an understatement.
Reports of internal conflict were rife throughout Souness’ time at St James’ Park. Those off-field frustrations erupted publicly in April 2005 when Kieron Dyer and Lee Bowyer had a scrap during a 3-0 home defeat to Aston Villa.
Ultimately, Shepherd was forced to pull the trigger as Newcastle sat 15th in the Premier League - despite spending close to £50million throughout Souness’ reign. The former midfielder has dismissed a return to management, citing his tenure on Tyneside as an underlying factor.
You can read the full story here.
Pope's Bruno 'bromance'
Nick Pope says Bruno Guimaraes was someone who helped him settle in at St. James' Park after signing for Newcastle United in the summer. The Magpies duo have played a big part in the renaissance on Tyneside, with Eddie Howe's men currently sat in third place heading into the World Cup.
For the Brazilian playmaker, the tournament will be extra special following the birth of his son Matteo. Pope bought his teammate a World Cup notebook with 'My World Cup Memories Matteo' written on the front.
It's another sign, if any were needed, of the camaraderie in the Newcastle dressing room at the moment. There's a tight nit group at St. James' Park with fans believing they can achieve something special this season.
You can read the full story here.
Joelinton's next step
Joelinton’s turnaround embodies what Newcastle United have achieved these past 12 months. His jaw-dropping transformation from a goal-shy forward to a midfield bulldozer has run parallel to the Magpies’ own evolution from Premier League also-rans to European contenders.
Signed for a record-breaking £40million in July 2019, Joelinton banished two confidence-stricken years to become one of the first names on Eddie Howe’s team sheet. Brazil flags now cover St James’ Park in honour of the former laughing stock and his compatriot, Bruno Guimaraes.
From a stats perspective, Joelinton has made more tackles (33) than any other Newcastle player this season. The 26-year-old also ranks seventh in the league for fouls given, highlighting his status as the midfield disrupter on Tyneside.
However, should Joelinton wish to join Guimaraes in the Brazil ranks, he must add the quality Newcastle originally signed him for to his game: goals.
You can read the full story here.
READ NEXT
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- Miguel Almiron Premier League's stat which puts him ahead of Martinelli and Son
- ‘He couldn’t hit a barn door’ - Former Arsenal striker on ‘incredible’ Newcastle United talent
- Socceroos ready to reveal 'X-Factor' Newcastle United January signing Garang Kuol at World Cup
