Bruno Guimaraes has only played 41 minutes of Premier League football since his £40million move in January. That has angered some, with impatient supporters desperate to see the Magpies’ marquee midfielder in action.
Newcastle were one point adrift from safety when Everton strolled into town a month ago and, when the team sheet was announced, fans were outraged to see Guimaraes named on the bench. Had defeat occurred that night, Howe would have felt the wrath from supporters as to why the 24-year-old Brazilian did not start.
As it turned out, Howe’s decision-making was spot on and the Magpies’ impressive run of form since has given him plenty of credit in the bank for when he next needs to make a big call. A seven-point cushion on the relegation zone allows the temperature to cool at St James’ Park - a sigh of relief for Toon fans who had feared the worst for most of the season.
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Such a wide gap from the bottom three presents a golden ticket for Newcastle and their megabucks arrival. The more dead rubbers the Magpies can play between now and the end of the season, the better prepared Guimaraes will be to go full throttle from the offset next year.
Mid-table non-contests without the fear of relegation allow Howe to blood the Brazilian into English football ahead of the new campaign. Effectively, Guimaraes can use the remainder of the campaign as an extended preseason - now Newcastle are close to securing their Premier League status.
The outlook could have been so much different for Newcastle and Guimaraes. Imagine a world where the recent good run of form was nonexistent and the midfielder - who is naive to the physicality of English football - was forcibly thrust into the action, with all of the club’s survival hopes resting on his shoulders.
The fact Newcastle can take their time with Guimaraes is a blessing. Fans, unlike an hour before the Everton game, now realise that Howe's caution is for everybody’s benefit in the long run.
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