Steve Bruce reiterates his faith in Newcastle striker Joelinton
Steve Bruce has rejected any suggestion he is looking to get rid of striker Joelinton even though he has not anywhere near justifying his £40m price tag in his first year at Newcastle United.
Joelinton scored twice against Morecambe in the Carabao Cup this week, as many goals as he has managed in 40 Premier League appearances.
But Bruce has always tried to protect the Brazilian from some of the savage criticism that has come his way since he arrived from Hoffenheim in July 2019 and continues to argue he will prove to everyone he is good enough to thrive in the Premier League.
“We saw the goal he scored at Morecambe,” said Bruce, who is likely to make several changes to the team thrashed by Brighton last weekend, given the 7-0 win over their League Two opponents in midweek.
“It gives you a clue to his ability. We see it - or I see it - on the training ground. The thing he has to come to terms with is adapting to the Premier League, and he has struggled with that, like a lot of great players.
‘I think Joe will benefit from the fact he understands what is coming more now. He still has improvement in him. I had no intention of letting Joe go anywhere, we have to keep working with him.
‘He will certainly get a little of confidence from scoring a couple the other night. Because, when you’re constantly kicked, sometimes it can bash away at you, and no-one is immune to that. We will keep supporting him. We have to find it and get the best out of him.
“We just need to keep him playing with confidence. This constant hitting with the stick, which unfortunately he has been, and especially at home that he doesn’t read all the nonsense and the social media.
“For me, the simple thing is that I know, I’ve seen him, and I know he’s got some really decent natural ability. Let’s keep reminding him what a good player he is and try to keep him confident. I am sure he will be better this year and learn from the experiences he has had.”
Bruce has always argued it can take up to a year for some players to settle in England and pointed that there have been plenty before Joelinton who have struggled to justify the money spent on them. Some eventually come good, others do not.
He added: “I remember the Man United lads telling me that [Juan Sebastian] Veron, when Man United signed him and he came on to the training ground. 'What a player', they said.
“Now, it's fair to say that he never hit the heights that maybe all the players at Man United thought about at the time because they all thought he was the best player they'd ever worked with, and it didn't quite happen for him.
“Sometimes these things happen. How often have we seen it? We’re not alone, you know. When we see players trying to adapt to the Premier League and adapt to England and adapt to the football and adapt to the weather and adapt to this – it is very, very difficult.
“You keep working away at them and the more they're here the more they experience what it's like to play in England and getting used to England - because we are a unique nation, that's for sure.
“Where's there an Englishman around the world plying his trade? There's not many because we find it very, very difficult.”
