Joelinton out of the striker cage and into the wilderness
Midway through the season comments have been flying about Joelinton’s poor record in front of goal. He has scored two goals. First against Tottenham Hotspur in the away win in August, the other a couple of weeks ago against Sheffield United.
Comparing his record to his fellow teammates, there are another ten players with two league goals or more this season for Newcastle United. The damning judgement on his goal-scoring record is slightly skewed as Newcastle United’s still of play doesn’t present him with the highest number of chances.
According to FBref.com Joelinton has an xGp90 of 0.17 in the league this season, and a total of 4.8 xG. Theoretically, he should have scored more than his two goals. And what instantly comes to mind is his miss against Sheffield United in the first half before Newcastle took the lead. The ultimate meme material.
Steve Bruce’s change from 5–4–1 to 4–2–3–1 has definitely benefited his forward line up. Allan Saint-Maximin and Miguel Almiron in particular could now have an extra passing option to combine with when they are going forward. Not only that, it allows one or both of them to roam with less restriction.
Joelinton still spearheaded the side and the lack of goals was still there. Bruce did alter things though against West Ham United. Reading the lineup before the game you would have normally thought that Joelinton was playing up top alongside Dwight Gayle.
It wasn’t the case. Joelinton played as a winger, on the right or the left side with Almiron playing behind Gayle. He wasn’t the traditional winger. Joelinton’s role was mainly to link up play in midfield and allow Jonjo Shelvey space to pick his passes.
Joelinton would regularly drop in the channels to provide a passing option for Shelvey or in this situation to Isaac Hayden. This would have been completely normal from Almiron or Saint-Maximin, but Joelinton?
He would drop in the channel to present himself as a passing option to help Newcastle progress the ball. It’s unlike Joelinton to play this role in comparison to his accustomed role up front. This might have tricked the West Ham players whose main worry for ball progression would be Almiron, Shelvey and Saint-Maximin who they all have in sight here. But not Joelinton who is ready to receive the ball with Aaron Creswell worried about Emil Krafth’s run.
The other part of his role was to link up with Shelvey to allow the latter more space to be able to spread passes through the West Ham line. Here, Shelvey bounces the ball of Joelinton. Moving Declan Rice further away form Shelvey
Now Shelvey has time to pick his pass, he plays it in behind the West Ham defence but Gayle doesn’t manage to catch it.
Joelinton positioned himself smartly away from West Ham’s full backs and behind West Ham’s midfielders. This would have been a smart move from a winger but being Joelinton, West Ham wouldn’t have seen it coming.
Joelinton attracts pressure once he receives to then release the ball to the relatively free Shelvey. It’s a pin-ball in midfield to move the West Ham players away from Shelvey so he passes more comfortably.
Now Shelvey has three passing lanes open with no pressure on him. He chose to play it into Joelinton again but this time to progress the ball.
In the build up to both of Newcastle’s goals on the day, Joelinton had a part to play. In the first, he dropped to offer Federico Fernandez a progressive passing option while Rice and Tomasz Soucek were keeping tabs on Shelvey.
Joelinton’s position is unnoticed by the midfield duo but even Ryan Fredericks can’t commit because if he did, that would leave Javier Manquillo completely free out wide.
Rice and Soucek shift their focus on Joelinton who by then had adjusted his body to play the pass to Gayle. Moving Rice and Soucek to this side emptied space in midfield for Gayle to drop into. The end result of this attack was Newcastle’s first goal as they shifted the ball quickly not giving West Ham time to adjust.
In the second goal it was Jamaal Lascelles who found Joelinton. Same position and same scenario, West Ham’s midfield late to adjust.
Joelinton’s ability to shield the ball helps him to maintain it before playing Krafth. The right back’s cross is blocked but the ball falls for Joelinton after all. His initial positioning helped him regain it and like the situations above allowed him to release Shelvey who scored to equalize for the second time.
The inside positioning of Joelinton came as a surprise to West Ham, mainly due to Joelinton’s nature and his role as Newcastle’s main striker.
The goal output for Joelinton has been low but he might provide another option to Newcastle out wide. His physical ability and aerial presence could serve as an outlet wide against weaker full backs, another method of ball progression for Newcastle in addition to his inside positioning.
Steve Bruce might have found out how to use Joelinton, only time will tell.
