Chris Waugh has revealed on Pod on the Tyne about the key moment which worried Eddie Howe about Newcastle United on Saturday.
Newcastle picked up their fifth win in their last six league matches to go seven points clear of the bottom three, which was once again achieved without duo Allan Saint-Maximin and Bruno Guimaraes starting.
Will Guimaraes start on Thursday?
Yes!
No!
The latter, having arrived for £40m in January and been a regular at his former club Lyon, may have expected to have featured for more than 39 minutes with the Magpies, but that’s all he’s been handed by the manager, although he has certainly left a mark on him.
Waugh’s revealed that when Guimaraes dribbled past a defender in his own box during added time, it concerned Howe.
He said: “When Bruno came on, the confidence he has on the ball – that heart-in-the-mouth moment right at the end of the match when he pirouetted inside his own box.
“Even Howe admitted that he was at that point, really concerned about what he’s going to do, but that just shows the confidence he has on the ball, that shows what he’s willing to do.”
TIF Thoughts on Guimaraes…
The Brazilian will likely be frustrated with his severe lack of game time since arriving in January, however, his chance to shine may be on the horizon as Howe’s side face three away matches in seven days, which will likely lead to rotation – especially in the midfield, as Howe has stuck with the same trio for the last six matches.
Newcastle spent a lot of time chasing the ball on Saturday against Brighton & Hove Albion, having surrendered 68% of possession, which will be down to the Seagulls’ ability to keep the ball, but may also point to some fatigue within the starting lineup, so Howe could be forced into changing a winning formula.
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