Newcastle United haven't gotten going this season, not in the Premier League.
The form on the road is becoming a real concern for Eddie Howe's side, whose victories this season have been limited to St. James' Park, and who have lost four on the bounce when detached from that vociferous home support.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe
Change is needed, and while the turbulence of the summer transfer window has made a transitional period inevitable, it's clear there are some on Tyneside who must be shipped out for the sake of tactical continuity.
The endangered Newcastle stars
Newcastle are struggling this season, and no mistake. However, Howe has transformed this club in the years since his arrival, and he must be afforded ample time to sort things out.
However, this might mean that several stars need to be shipped out next year, with a stagnancy crawling across the squad's fabric this season.
Sven Botman was all over the place as United slumped to defeat at Brentford last weekend, but there is surely hope that the 25-year-old, who has endured a series of injury-riddled years, will recover his once imperious Premier League form.
He's not been helped by the widemen; Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn are limited as a full-back pairing. The veterans do combine, after all, for an age of 68, and the lack of dynamism and width and energy has impeded the Magpies.
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Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga, for example, have neither scored nor assisted in the Premier League this term, and likely cannot wait for the return of Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento as a duo.
How Howe approaches 2026, the January transfer window and the summer market after that, is anyone's guess, but it's clear changes are needed. And one of these changes will sting the Tyneside crowds, but sadly, this Newcastle mainstay is no longer at his best and is a clear weak link in the middle of the park, showing certain shades of Moussa Sissoko long before him.
Newcastle's new Moussa Sissoko
Sissoko is something of a cult hero on Tyneside. The versatile French midfielder played 133 matches between 2013 and 2016, so tenacious and powerful from the centre of the park or out at right midfield.
Now 36 and playing for Watford in the Championship, Sissoko has not played in black and white for a long time, leaving for Tottenham in a £30m deal in 2016, but the case of Joelinton is throwing certain similarities toward the spotlight.
Joelinton, 29, arrived in England but lacked the composure and finishing skills to succeed. He looked to be drifting toward anonymity before being refashioned into a robust midfielder.
It's delightful to see the Brazil international hailed as a "club legend" by content creator Adam Pearson, having featured 236 times across all competitions and played a defining role in lifting the Carabao Cup last year.
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But his performances this season have left much to be desired, and United blogger Thomas Hammond has even suggested that this is "the start of the end" for the stalwart, who isn't as sharp in his defensive duties as before; neither has he looked that effective in attack.
Sissoko was younger when leaving United for Spurs, but he too was inconsistent during that final, relegation-condemned campaign.
Joelinton has run himself into the ground over recent years, and now it might be time for Newcastle to cash in while they can and replace him with a fresher midfield cog to complement Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.
Howe's Most-used Players at Newcastle
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Data via Transfermarkt
For Joelinton to have been one of Howe's mainstays at this golden age at Newcastle bears testament to his unwavering belief and drive.
But he can only drive forward for so long and it might be nearing the time to part ways with this all-action star and turn the page toward the new chapter.