There were two parallel debates blazing inside the press room of St James’ Park at tea-time on Saturday. Both concerned 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 a unanimous yes. Yohan Cabaye was a playmaker not dissimilar to Bruno, albeit a lesser version, and he gave it two seasons before agitating for a move. Any player with genuine ambition felt more like an inmate under Ashley’s regime.