Bruno on track to be Toon’s best midfielder EVER
THERE were two parallel debates blazing inside St James’ Park at tea-time on Saturday, both concerning the brilliance of Bruno Guimaraes.
Firstly, would this be his only full season as a Newcastle United player? Secondly, is he already the club’s best-ever midfielder? Were this Mike ashley’s Newcastle, the answer to the former would have been yes. Yohan cabaye was a playmaker, albeit a lesser version, and gave it two seasons before agitating for a move. any player with ambition felt more like an inmate under ashley’s regime. the argument put forward on Saturday was that if Barcelona or Real Madrid come calling — Bruno looks good enough for both — then he would find it difficult to say no. Difficult, yes, but not impossible. For starters, the Premier League trumps La Liga. the lure of Barca and Real is much to do with their history but Newcastle is the future. Why would Bruno quit the most exciting project in world football? a reasonable counter is that time is against a player of his talent. he turns 25 next month and, given Newcastle’s owners stated their hope to win the Premier League within five to 10 years, that timescale would take Bruno into his 30s. he may want the guarantee of silverware now. that leads us to Manchester city. the champions apart, the rest of the league is no longer, necessarily, a step up from Newcastle. and if ever a player fitted the Pep Guardiola mandate of pass, move, retain, it is Bruno. he does all of that as if playing with a resting heart rate, all the while quickening pulses inside the stadium. Brentford could get nowhere near him, be that for his headed opener, his long-range second or at any point during a display of superior skill, vision and tenacity. city are the most realistic danger for Newcastle but they do not have to sell. their owners are richer than those of city and, come next summer, expect an improved deal to be discussed. there is not a release clause in his contract either. Bruno did not want one. after arriving from Lyon, he said he wanted to be remembered as the man who came at the start of the club’s journey and led them to the champions League. It felt just like words at the time. Eight months on and we are discussing if he is Newcastle’s greatest midfielder.
When it comes to service over a longer period, he cannot get near Rob Lee and Gary Speed. But, in the isolation of ability, Bruno operates at a higher level. Paul Gascoigne was only 21 when he joined tottenham and, while exceptional, his best football was played elsewhere. Bruno is at his peak. It feels too early to declare him the club’s best-ever midfielder, but this trajectory could take him there.
Will he hang around to achieve that? after the game, he said: ‘My whole family were in the stadium, my son will be born in the next week. I’m so grateful. It is one of the best days of my life.’ he does not sound like a player going anywhere in a hurry. But his football club are moving fast.
NEWCASTLE UNITED (4-3-3): Pope 7; Trippier 7.5 (Targett 84), Schar 6.5, Botman 7.5, Burn 6.5; Longstaff 7, GUIMARAES 8.5 (Saint-Maximin 78, 6.5), Willock 7.5; Almiron 8 (Anderson 84), Wilson 7 (Wood 84), Murphy 7 (Joelinton 66, 7). Goals: Guimaraes 21, 56, Murphy 28, Almiron 82, Pinnock (og) 90. Manager: Eddie Howe 7.5. BRENTFORD (3-5-2): Raya 4; Pinnock 5, Mee 5 (Damsgaard 71, 5), Ajer 5; Hickey 5.5 (Ghoddos 83), Dasilva 5 (Janelt 46, 5), Baptiste 6 (Onyeka 62), Jensen 6, Henry 5.5; Toney 6, Mbeumo 6.5 (Wissa 62, 5). Goal: Toney (pen) 54. Booked: Toney. Manager: Thomas Frank 5. Referee: John Brooks 8. Attendance: 52,067.