Newcastle have hardly-seen player who can ignite Nick Woltemade – ‘this can be the spark’
Eddie Howe has been told by former Premier League striker Alan Smith how he can get the best out of Nick Woltemade.
Newcastle’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford has left the Toon 14th in the Premier League table during the international break.
Woltemade joined Newcastle from Stuttgart in the summer transfer window as a replacement for Alexander Isak.
The German has scored four goals in eight Premier League games, and the 23-year-old is already gathering interest from club’s across Europe.
Alan Smith shares Nick Woltemade ‘solution’
Speaking to the Daily Mail, [13 November], former Arsenal forward Smith believes the return of Yoane Wissa from injury will help Woltemade, but the German should also be doing more to help himself.
“Brentford smothered Woltemade and he hardly got a kick. I could feel his frustration because you hardly noticed him,” Smith said.
“Attacking-wise, he was almost non-existent. He became isolated and that’s part of the reason why he comes deep looking for the ball. He is quite clearly someone who needs service into the box – that isn’t happening.
| Minutes Played | 90 |
| Touches | 30 |
| Touches in the opposition box | 4 |
| Shots | 0 |
“The onus is on the wide players to either get around him or supply those passes or crosses for him to feed off. They’ve got to do more to push the opposition defence back. If they do that, it will free up space for Woltemade. At the moment, it’s all too congested.
“You don’t want to get to the point where he loses confidence. As a striker, you just have to keep showing for the pass you want. Never hide. You can get these runs where things feel like they’re not going your way.
“But also, you can’t always look at your team-mates, you have to find solutions yourself. Put yourself in the right areas and make things happen. He is very clever and can manoeuvre the ball with his feet so well. He might have to start creating some of his own chances.
“He looks like someone who could work well in a two, he says. But teams don’t do that now, really. Having Wissa on the wing when he comes back, with licence to come inside and offer support, is the most obvious solution. Wissa can make a big difference.
“That will give Woltemade a spark, either through competition for his place or playing closer to him.”
Yoane Wissa expected to return after international break
Wissa is expected to make his return against Everton later this month, with the clash against Man City deemed potentially too early for the 29-year-old.
The forward has not had any competitive action since September, and needs to build up his match fitness after refusing to train at Brentford in the summer.
Wissa netted 19 Premier League goals last season, and could be a welcome boost for Howe to aid his teams surge up the table.