Imagine, it’s September 2021 and Tite has announced his Brazil squad, and your mate down the pub turns around and says “I can’t believe he hasn’t picked Joelinton”. You’d laugh for a solid five minutes, stop his drink and get his missus to come and take him home.
Yet here we are, one year on, and the general consensus amongst Newcastle fans is that Joelinton has been robbed of a call-up.
Big J7 has been transformed under Eddie Howe, from a failed striker to a battling beast of a midfielder and has earned praise from fans and pundits outside of the North East, so we know it’s not just the usual Black & White hyperbole.
Should Joelinton Get An International Call-up?
Yes
No
Is there a case of bias in us thinking Joelinton deserves a call-up? Maybe. But then you look at who is getting in that squad ahead of him …. Fred of Manchester United.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t watch a lot of Man United, but from what I have seen, Fred is nowhere near as good as Joelinton. Is it purely the fact that he plays for Manchester United that’s getting him this call-up ahead of Joelinton?
It’s not just the fact that Joelinton’s form is arguably better than Fred’s, but he plays alongside Bruno Guimaraes at club level and has developed a great partnership. That kind of footballing chemistry is rare at the International level, so Brazil could capitalise on that.
I’m sure Tite has his reasons, but he really needs to get his backside to St James’ Park and take in a game in person so he can see Joelinton in full swing.
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