‘Brilliant’ 10/10 pips Bruno Guimaraes in Newcastle United midfield player ratings

Newcastle United’s stunning second half of the campaign was inspired by a tactical tweak from Eddie Howe that unleashed a midfield three and turned them into one of the best trios in the Premier League. Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton were simply brilliant during the second half of the campaign - but where do they rank alongside their midfield colleagues?

Here, we take a look at our Newcastle United 2024/25 midfield player ratings. Do you agree with our choices? Follow us on our social media channels and let us know your thoughts there.

Joe Willock - 4/10

Joe Willock gets a four out of ten.This feels harsh on Willock because his injury issues over the last two seasons have been particularly bad.

He obviously got injured against Brighton at the end of the 2022-23 season, suffered a bad hamstring injury and has never really recovered from that. He began the campaign on the sidelines, came in against Nottingham Forest for his debut in the Carabao Cup, scored within 20 seconds, then got injured again and just has had a stop-start run in the team.

He hasn't really got going and then was given a chance towards the end of the campaign without Joelinton in the team but just never really took his chance, never really grasped it.

It's unfair, I think, a little bit on him because he's been asked to fill in for Joelinton, who's had a fantastic season.

Sean Longstaff - 5/10

He didn’t really feature at all in the back half of the season, with other options ahead of him and the starting three, which have been fantastic. But he did start the season fairly well.

It's hard on Longstaff because he always goes under the radar and never really catches the eye like many of his other teammates, but he was in the team at the beginning of the season when they played all right, and then before that technical switch for Sandro Tonali, he was the one playing in that team and getting results.

Remember the game against Arsenal at home in November? He was really good on that day, but since he's come out of the team, he's just never really been able to impress coming off the bench.

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Lewis Miley - 6/10

Miley started the season injured, and again, like Willock and Longstaff before him, just hasn't really had the opportunities to impress, but has taken them more than Willock and Longstaff. He had a couple of FA Cup games, scored against Bromley and scored against Nottingham Forest at home when he was given an opportunity in that game.

Out of the three of them so far, he's the one that has taken their chance when offered it. He still has lots of potential to progress as well.

We saw last year in the big games when he was thrown into the team after the injury crisis, he has performed in big games, and Eddie Howe really rates him and has spoken about how highly he thinks he's got a big future at this club.

Hopefully, next year, he can get more games and really start to show the player he can be.

Joelinton - 8/10

Joelinton has been brilliant. I think it's shown in the last couple of weeks just how big of a difference he makes to this team- there's a hole in that midfield when he’s absent. He did have a couple of bad games throughout the season, but he's had so many more good games than bad games.

And you just think back to that Carabao Cup final, he was absolutely brilliant, all energy, and someone that, if you're an opposition player, you don't want to see him in the team.

Bruno Guimaraes - 9/10

Guimaraes has been brilliant. He's led from the front.

There was a big debate whether he should have been named captain. Obviously, Kieran Trippier was captain in Jamaal Lascelles’ absence at the end of last year, but Bruno was given the captaincy, and he's took that role and really shone with it.

The move to the right side midfielder from the number six role in December just allowed him to get so much more involved in the attacking phase and he can play his own game with Tonali sat in the middle.

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No Newcastle fan will doubt that Bruno has been brilliant and hopefully he has a big future at this club because he's obviously one of the fans' favourite players. He's obviously one of his teammates' favourite players as well.

He's just made for Newcastle United and as much as he's maybe been overshone by one player, spoiler alert, he's had a fantastic year.

Sandro Tonali - 10/10

Tonali absolutely gets a ten out of ten. There’s nothing left to say about Tonali that hasn't already been said.

He's been absolutely brilliant. His move into number six is the main reason for Newcastle United qualifying for the Champions League.

Howe changed his team and it has been an absolute masterstroke. Tonali's been brilliant.

He's fantastic in attack. He's shown that with the goals he scored this year, and also defence as well -he's across every single blade of the grass.

There’s not a moment where the opposition team breaks that you don't expect Tonali to be there - and he's always there. If there's a run that needs mopping up, Tonali will be there. If there's a ball that needs to be passed off to get out of trouble, Tonali's there.

He's been absolutely fantastic and certainly one of Newcastle United’s players of the season, if not player of the season.

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