WOE LINTON
Bruce set to give £40m Toon flop the boot
STEVE BRUCE has warned club record signing Joelinton he could be facing the axe unless he finds his scoring boots.
The Newcastle boss will keep faith with his £40m Brazilian striker against Wolves tomorrow but is concerned the Toon have scored just five times this season. That is the joint worst record in the top four English divisions, along with Watford and Bolton. Joelinton has scored just once, in the win at Spurs in August.
Bruce is ready to give fit-again Dwight Gayle a chance but will stick with the Brazilian – for now – after urging him to take inspiration from Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe following his morale-boosting double strike in the Europa League on Thursday.
Bruce said: “It’s something that we’re looking at and toying over because we simply have to get more goals in the team. But I’m reluctant to do it just yet.
“I don’t think Joelinton needs a rest just yet, he just needs time. The boy Pepe scored two for Arsenal this week and you’ll see a different player now.
“It takes time to adjust to the Premier League, it doesn’t matter who you are or how big the price tag is, I’ve seen it so often. It takes time to get used to the physicality.
“We have no doubt he’s a very good player. Like most strikers, they are a different animal after a goal. He works hard in training, he’ll be a good player.”
With Andy Carroll out for a fortnight with a groin injury, Gayle is set to feature with Bruce adding: “I saw him play twice for West Brom last season as an out-and-out number nine. He was electric.
“He was easily the best striker in the division. If you do create the chances I’m sure he’ll take them. “But every goalscorer needs service and that’s the difficult part of the game. We got ourselves into good positions at Chelsea and nothing came of it. “We’ve got to make better decisions and be more clinical.”