LONDON, Nov 28 ― Newcastle United forward Joelinton has struggled to deal with the weight of expectations following his move to St James' Park, but his goal in today's 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace could be a watershed moment, manager Steve Bruce has said.
Joelinton, who arrived at Newcastle for a club record £40 million (RM216.7 million) from Hoffenheim in July 2019, has failed to justify his price tag, scoring just seven goals in 56 games in all competitions.
But the 24-year-old Brazilian showed glimpses of his best against Palace, setting up Callum Wilson for Newcastle's opener before his deflected shot sealed the victory.
“Sometimes you need time - it doesn't matter about the price tag,” Bruce said. “In Joe's case, the price tag meant he struggled at times.
“But the kid wants to do well. He had a lot of opportunities but we are starting to see him now with his strength.”
“There is no disputing that Joelinton has found it difficult. But I've said many times that some take a little more time than others. We're delighted he's scored a goal.”
Newcastle's win lifted them to 10th in the table on 14 points from 10 games.― Reuters
