Newcastle United have been plagued by perennial injury problems early in the season, but there is little doubt that Eddie Howe’s side are well placed to achieve their goals this year. Maybe it will exceed that.
The backline has been strong and solid for most of Howe’s tenure, but he seems to have strengthened the defense at St James’ Park this summer, adding depth to the existing ranks. Nick Pope has kept five clean sheets in seven Premier League games, and they are tied for fifth in saves among goalkeepers (19), showing that everyone is doing their best.
However, with Alexander Isak sold to Liverpool for a record fee, the Magpies went into the season with fresh concerns about the quality of their attack. Yoan Ouissa is yet to make his debut for the club as he recovers from a knee injury, adding fuel to the fire.
However, the flare-up was tempered by Nick Woltemade’s quick start to life in England.
Newcastle big money win
If Newcastle were foolish to spend so much money on Walte Maid in August, then what was the point of those refusing to sign such a unique and dangerous centre-forward?
Seven games in, the former Stuttgart man has scored four goals in both black and white and has commanded respect and attention from even beyond the Tyneside faithful.
Unlike Isak, Woltemade still boasts more than a razor-sharp shot and his early foray into the English game speaks to an exciting future for both player and club, and the possibility of him joining Isak, and perhaps the legendary Alan Shearer, in the highest regard for strikers who were probably several notches above other strikers.
With four goals in seven, it’s hard to believe that the young, ambitious forward will be the next Shearer, but the 23-year-old has already proven himself to be a reliable goalscorer in the Premier League and has the mental acuity to rival Isak for Newcastle’s modern best-nine crown.
However, Shearer’s role and reputation at Newcastle exceeded his success as a goalscorer. A true talismanic force, he led the club for many years and inherently understood what it meant to be a Geordie.
And Newcastle may be ready for the next version. No, it’s not Dan Byrne, a boyhood fan (though he’s a legend in his own right, of course).
No, the man in question here came from overseas, but he is an adopted son of this city and one of the key pillars of the Howe era.
Howe’s own version of Shearer
It all started with Howe. Howe then went to work during the January 2022 transfer window, signing a wealth of talent to help the Reds avoid relegation and climb the Premier League ladder.
And among the first through the door was Bruno Guimarães, who joined from Lyon for a fee of £41m towards the end of the window. He was 24 years old at the time, and this was considered a coup.
Now in his fifth season on Tyneside, the Brazil international is a leader for all the big clubs and a phenomenal presence in the middle of the park with his aggressive defending, intense pressing and elegant passing. He remained faithful.
But the much-discussed £100m price tag highlights his skill and the belief from elsewhere that Newcastle have a truly special player.
Hailed as a midfielder’s “machine” by blogger Thomas Hammond, the 27-year-old maintains excellent fitness levels and has been used more frequently than any other Newcastle player throughout Howe’s tenure.
Howe’s most used Newcastle players | ||
|---|---|---|
player | season | app |
Fabian Schaal | 5 | 163 |
Bruno Guimarães | 5 | 160 |
Dan Burns | 5 | 158 |
jacob murphy | 5 | 144 |
Joelinton | 5 | 138 |
Dates via Transfermarkt | ||
He bled for the badge, but his tenacity and dedication paid off as he featured in two of his three Champions Leagues and also won last year’s Carabao Cup.
The £160,000-a-week talent is arguably one of the best players in the business and is United’s captain, with Howe speaking in the past of his awe for Newcastle’s “difference-makers”.
Had he not arrived, Newcastle might not have reached the heights they have reached in recent years. Perhaps the drive and enthusiasm with which they played for most of 2024/25 would never have led them to victory in the Carabao Cup.
But even in defeat, Guimarães speaks with a passion that cannot be tempered or imitated. The defeat against Liverpool in August is a perfect example of this. Isak was subject to a subtle attack as he held his head high even after Rio Ngmoja sank the hearts of those at St James’ Park with a cruel last-minute goal.
There stood the leader, a talisman of which Shearer was proud. Isak may have been admired by the 55-year-old for his ability to find the back of the goal, but Guimarães better embodies what it takes to wear the Newcastle badge.
Shearer is the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 260 goals. Even a phenomenon like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (94 goals) will require some effort.
The retired striker says he fulfilled his “dream” at Newcastle, despite being courted by Manchester United during his time at Blackburn Rovers, and despite hanging his boots unlaced and without any silverware for 10 campaigns on Tyneside.
Guimarães has a trophy in his cabinet, but he too has offers from more established superpowers, and he remains while some of his high-level team-mates venture out for greener pastures.
He wears an armband and deserves it. Guimarães is the leader of this remarkable Howe project and is more like Shearer than Isaac.
