Nick Woltemade

[TheBrownBottle]

Just now, r0cafella said:

Its something I've also had to adapt to mentally, I don't expect much improvement to a players game once they hit say 21 for example. Especially if they've been getting first team minutes from say 18. 

 

The big nick we have now is very much the big nick of the future. I'm sure we can make him a bit stronger and play a bit quicker but I wouldn't expect too much improvement outside of adaptation to the league. 

100% agree

[The College Dropout]

I don’t see a long term future with Nick as a 9 under Howe.  He can be a success in a more withdrawn role. But as the primary 9? I’m losing hope.  

[El Prontonise]

Just now, The College Dropout said:

I don’t see a long term future with Nick as a 9 under Howe.  He can be a success in a more withdrawn role. But as the primary 9? I’m losing hope.  

 

We'd have to change shape completely to accommodate him.

[The College Dropout]

56 minutes ago, El Prontonise said:

 

We'd have to change shape completely to accommodate him.

I thought we were going to be more willing to play a 10 like player.  

[Smal]

Joelinton transformation in the summer but with a higher technical (and literal) ceiling 

[OoOGazOoO]

Whatever way you look at it, we need another striker, or maybe 2 in my opinion. I said it earlier in the season before Wissa came back and before Woltemade's form took a hit, but now it's even more clear.

 

Woltemade is not a 9, but if he is a 10 then that leaves us with a gap up top we need to fill.

 

 

[TheBrownBottle]

2 minutes ago, OoOGazOoO said:

Whatever way you look at it, we need another striker, or maybe 2 in my opinion. I said it earlier in the season before Wissa came back and before Woltemade's form took a hit, but now it's even more clear.

 

Woltemade is not a 9, but if he is a 10 then that leaves us with a gap up top we need to fill.

 

 

And if we’re not changing our style, it doubles-down that we probably need to push our acquisitions from last summer out and roll the dice again 

[Kanj]

I don’t really want to be a more possession based side. I like our fast break football, I’d like to add in a few more technical players, particularly out wide and raise their levels. I really like Nick, but his lack of pace will hinder him more often than not in the PL. His box movement can get better with more training but he’s not going to be superbly prolific in a Howe team or most PL teams. 

[Holloway]

Fully expect Nick to toughen up,adapt, and Eddie finding a way to bring the best out of him. If nothing else,he offers something different to what we have.Quite excited to see how it goes 

[La Parka]

Wolte probs gonna have to drop to midfield to play.

 

[PauloGeordio]

1 minute ago, La Parka said:

Wolte probs gonna have to drop to midfield to play.

 

Could work tucked in behind Gordon.

[TRC]

6 hours ago, Smal said:

Joelinton transformation in the summer but with a higher technical (and literal) ceiling 

The Joelinton transformation is pretty unique, the man was an absolute athlete. Howe improved his off ball stuff a lot no doubt, but technically he has always been limited, I dont think thats transferable to Nick.

[TheEntertainer]

I can't see how he fits in the team, he feels like he needs to be in a technically brilliant team, could play the Kane role at Bayern for example, or would work at Man City. We need intensity, pace and power and he doesn't have that. He just needs to work on the goalscoring and positioning if he's going to be a success here, if he's in the right place and scoring goals, none of the rest matters. I don't think he works for us in the number 10 role, because the way our play, our midfielders and forwards all need to be able to press hard and break quickly, we cant carry someone physically if the press is to succeed, having him in just leaves a gap to exploit. If the wingers are the goal threat maybe he can work as the lone striker just linking it together, but I think just having another fast mobile player in that spot creates more problems than someone dropping deep to create space behind. 

 

Like I say, if he just gets back to scoring goals it doesn't matter that he doesn't really fit the system. 

[oldtype]

Have to consider that he was dropped into Eddie's lap mid season without a whole lot of thought as to how he would fit in the side. I think an offseason worth of planning by the coaching staff (along with his own natural improvement as a young player) will be transformative. We've already seen moments of incredible quality in him and I trust that will shine through if we are patient.

[toontownman]

Lets be honest he was a panic buy and opportunity with no forward planning to how he would work here. 

 

Ironically had we stuck him up top yesterday instead of Gordon and made him stay up top I am sure he would have scored at least once with the service Elanga and others put in during that first half.

 

I feel for him because he does look slow. So does our entire back line currently. We just need to play to Nick's strengths. We have seen he will score when we do.

[GEFAFWISP]

He lost me when he refused to shoot twice against Brentford. Horrible to see that from a striker.

 

Howe picking Gordon ahead of him (and Wissa) doesn't suggest he's up to snuff. Shame as he had a great first couple of months.

[HayDen Traces]

If we got a decent offer this summer I'd sell him. I'd prioritise a quicker striker with better finishing that will lead the press and stop teams pushing us back up the pitch.

 

He's a likeable lad but everytime he plays for us we look toothless up front. Part of that might be our tactics but we are what we are and we need players that fit our system to make it effective.

[Lotus]

Was kind of hoping he’d be our Firmino with a bit more dribbling.

 

Firmino was of course massively helped out by having Salah and Mane either side. Still…..

[duo]

3 hours ago, La Parka said:

Wolte probs gonna have to drop to midfield to play.

 

Or CB

[TheBrownBottle]

5 hours ago, TRC said:

The Joelinton transformation is pretty unique, the man was an absolute athlete. Howe improved his off ball stuff a lot no doubt, but technically he has always been limited, I dont think thats transferable to Nick.

Joelinton was also salvaging a massive transfer mistake - he was never worth what we paid to be a hard tackling midfielder.  

[NUFC91]

No one questioned his performances v Forest Arsenal Everton etc when he looked good in the role, give this lad a proper run of games and I have doubt he can adapt. 

 

 

Edited February 11 by NUFC91

[TRC]

For me we need to change how we play to suit him and I don’t think it’s worth the effort.  Change the entire team style just to suit some bloke who might not even be that good anyway.

[Zero]

12 hours ago, Lotus said:

Was kind of hoping he’d be our Firmino with a bit more dribbling.

 

Firmino was of course massively helped out by having Salah and Mane either side. Still…..

 

The Firmino who widely regarded as a flop in his first 12 months?

[Zero]

Just checked the stats

Firmino in his first season, 49 games 11 goals

 

Nick so far, 37 games 9 goals

 

All including sub appearance 

[Crimson Cardigan]

I thought Ramsay’s performance the other night might give some people pause before writing off Nick (and Wissa) entirely but…

 

I don’t think we can sell him at a loss in the summer for PSR reasons, so we’re going to have to persist a bit longer. It’s a stretch but I don’t remember Gravenberch pulling up any trees in his first season, Wirtz has been totally ineffective until quite recently - there’s plenty of examples. 
 

the Twitter narrative that Eddie has “ruined” him is irritating - he does need to improve plenty of things even to make it as a 10 in this league.