Eddie Howe hailed after how Newcastle have evolved since Alexander Isak exit
Newcastle’s adaptation to life without Alexander Isak has been assessed, with the Toon starting to move forward without their former star striker.
Isak joined Liverpool for a British record fee of £125million during the summer after scoring 25 Premier League goals last season for Newcastle.
Amid the Sweden international’s saga over the summer, it took until the end of the transfer window for Eddie Howe to be able bring in replacements up-front.
Newcastle signed Nick Woltemade from Stuttgart, and Brentford‘s Yoane Wissa who is currently injured to replace the departed Isak.
Newcastle’s front three is a ‘brilliant blend’
Woltemade has scored three goals in his first six appearances for Newcastle, with two of those goals being headers.
Speaking on Sky Sports, [5 October], Jamie Carragher believes Woltemade has benefited from Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga down the flanks.
“When you look at this front three, two of the three are new signings and I look at the pace of Gordon and Elanga and I think that really suits Woltemade through the middle,” Carragher said.
“Just watching him [Woltemade] in these early few weeks he’s got goals he’s had a brilliant start to his Newcastle career but he’s not Isak in terms of how we plays.
“He’s not trying to stretch the defence, he’s not trying to run in behind, he’s more a player that wants to get involved in the build-up, almost play between the lines at times so that could really help Gordon and Elanga in terms of making penetrating runs in-behind.”
Conor Coady has also been impressed by the evolution of Newcastle’s front three.
“It looks a brilliant blend, I’ve been really impressed with Woltemade,” Coady said.
“I watched him in the summer for the 21’s [Germany at Euro U21] and thought he was a top player there so to see him come in and be that hold up player for Newcastle, sometimes teams have got to evolve.
“It sounds daft when you lose a player like Isak and then say you’ve got to evolve to something else, but this is that something else.
“Carra [Jamie Carragher] is totally right he is totally different to Isak, but the way he plays, the way he can hold the ball up and then the two flyers either side I think really helps him.”
Newcastle have scored 13 goals in nine games in all competitions this season, but there have been three goalless draws in the Premier League, suggesting more work still needs to be done.
Newcastle attacking stats explored
Howe has got options down the flanks with Jacob Murphy and Harvey Barnes alternative options, whilst the return of Wissa will provide competition for Woltemade.
If played to his strengths, Woltemade can help boost Newcastle’s attacking stats, but the German needs crosses into the box to threaten the opponents goal.
| Goals per match | 0.7 |
| Expected Goals | 5.2 |
| Big Chances Missed | 5 |
| Shots on target per match | 2.7 |
Isak’s brilliance meant he could score a goal out of nowhere, and Newcastle’s adaptation without him needs to ensure that Woltemade is not expected to do the same.
Elanga has yet to score for the club since his arrival from Nottingham Forest in the summer, and that is a stat that needs to be improved to help Newcastle going forward.