Forget Alexander Isak, Classy Nick Woltemade Is Rightly The Talk Of Newcastle

FROM LONDON STADIUM—Everything has gone correct for Nick Woltemade astatine Newcastle United. Until coming present distant astatine struggling West Ham. The gangly German has been 1 of nan astir successful signings of nan season, playing arsenic a No.10 and creating chances for his team-mates, and scoring goals pinch nan objective touch of a No. 9. So it was astonishing and arguable to spot Newcastle’s starring scorer withdrawn astatine half-time by his caput coach, Eddie Howe, pinch his squad trailing. Howe and why? 

Woltemade enjoyed nary service, and was near truthful isolated by his midfield and wingers that he managed only 1 touch successful nan area, reflective of nan visitors’ wide passivity. “I almost could person taken anyone off,” Howe said by measurement of explanation. “The squad needed immoderate shaking up astatine half-time. The physicality and dynamism wasn’t location for us.”

Howe besides hooked Anthony Gordon and Emil Krafth astatine nan break, which was understandable arsenic neither had impressed. But it felt harsh connected Woltemade. He sat connected nan bench, wrapped up warmly, hoodie pulled down almost complete his eyes arsenic if masking nan show of a crippled without him.

His removal was lamented not only by Newcastle fans, and present is simply a motion of Woltemade’s phenomenal world impact. More than 600,000 of nan 10m managers astir nan world who play Fantasy Premier League transferred Woltemade into their online teams for this information of games, believing he would triumph them points. So nan show of Woltemade connected nan chair was almost arsenic galling for imagination fans arsenic it was for his existent service of Newcastle fans.

Newcastle fans person taken Woltemade quickly. / Stu Forster/Getty Images

They adore him, and location are fewer passions successful English shot arsenic large and loyal arsenic Geordie fans’ emotion for a centre forward. He’s had specified an effect connected Newcastle since arriving from Stuttgart for an first £65 cardinal ($87.7 million) successful August. He helped heal nan gaping coiled near by nan messy departure of Alexander Isak, who downed devices and vanished to Liverpool. 

Creative Newcastle fans moreover produced a “Ghostbusters” video tribute to nan striker who made them hide astir Isak. The video’s a montage of Woltemade’s six goals successful his erstwhile 11 games, nan powerful headers and delicate, flicked headers, nan back-heels and whipped penalties. It ends pinch nan sadistic pay-off of “I ain’t acrophobic of nary goals” pinch an image of Isak, who has yet to uncover his prolific qualities astatine Liverpool. Such contented celebrates nan finisher pinch Rudi Voller’s hairsbreadth and flair for goals. 

Woltemade’s numbers show a story, his goals specified an power connected Newcastle. His garment number tells a communicative too. He wears nan number 11 pinch nan German nationalist squad arsenic he had past play astatine Stuttgart. Harvey Barnes is successful possession of 11 astatine Newcastle. So Woltemade took 27, not because nan numbers adhd up to 9, nan accepted centre forward’s number, but because it matches nan day of his mother’s birthday. Homely touches for illustration that endear Woltemade moreover further to Newcastle fans. 

He could person taken nan 9 vacated by Callum Wilson, now West Ham’s striker. The garment is iconic connected Tyneside, making love backmost to Hughie Gallacher successful nan 1920s, “Wor Jackie” Milburn successful nan 50s, Malcolm “Supermac” Macdonald successful nan 70s, Andy Cole successful nan mid-90s and Les Ferdinand concisely earlier Alan Shearer graced it for almost a decade. Maybe Woltemade didn’t want to beryllium pigeonholed arsenic a No 9 and has near it for Yoane Wissa. When Wissa is yet fresh aft his cruciate ligament injury, nan brace should make a threatening blend. 

Howe Must Find Ways to Utliise Woltemade Better

Woltemade tin effect nan crippled from a deeper role. / ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP/Getty Images

That’s besides what was truthful perplexing astir him being withdrawn astatine half-time. Will Osula, nan young Dane, came connected astatine centre guardant arsenic Howe looked for gait successful down West Ham’s back-four. That is ne'er Woltemade’s game. He links aliases ghosts into intelligent attacking positions. He useful champion pinch a No 9 up of him. A Woltemade-Osula axis mightiness person been worthy assessing. Both players starred astatine nan European Under-21s Championship successful nan summer, scoring freely.

Howe is specified a highly respected manager, who will beryllium successful nan framework to win Thomas Tuchel pinch England aft nan World Cup, that he could person juggled his resources to create a amended level for Woltemade, told him to play higher up, spending much clip successful nan area, aliases collaborated him pinch Osula.

Newcastle were moreover poorer successful nan 2nd half. West Ham must person been delighted. They played pinch each nan physicality and strength that Newcastle lacked, and wholly deserved their first triumph nether Nuno Espírito Santo pinch Lucas Paquetá and Freddie Potts peculiarly impressive. They will person been relieved to spot nan backmost of Woltemade, particularly nan centre backs, Jean-Clair Todibo and Max Kilman, who person struggled of late. 

Nick Woltemade’s 2025–26 Statistics

Howe’s determination to sub Woltemade was not related to fitness, moreover though nan guardant was 1 of 5 who started present who besides began nan midweek Carabao Cup triumph complete Tottenham Hotspur erstwhile nan German scored. Newcastle person a gruelling tally of Premier League and Champions League games this month, including Athletic Club and Manchester City astatine St James’ Park pinch distant trips to Brentford, Marseille and Everton. 

Yet Woltemade’s only 23, exceptionally fit, and expends his power cleverly. One of nan reasons why Woltemade is truthful celebrated pinch nan Newcastle fans is that he useful hard, presses hard, closing down opponents. He ever makes himself disposable for a walk to feet aliases successful nan air, moreover erstwhile tightly and robustly marked. He still paces himself well, ensuring he has nan surge of powerfulness to unleash erstwhile nan correct opportunity arises. At 1 constituent earlier nan break, Gordon smashed nan shot successful towards Woltemade, who controlled it easily, and laid it off. 

Such has been nan effortless measurement he’s settled astatine Newcastle that immoderate German fans journeyed complete recently, wearing blond wigs, holding cards beseeching their compatriot for his autograph. Complete confirmation that Newcastle had signed good besides came from Germany successful nan style of immoderate disgruntled comments from Bayern Munich powerbrokers, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß. They had intelligibly expected him to motion for Bayern, arsenic galore young German players want to do. Maybe Rummenigge and Hoeneß will grin inwardly astatine events present yesterday but specified is his value and activity ethic that Woltemade will soon beryllium starting and finishing again. 

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