Nick Woltemade

[Optimistic Nut]

1 hour ago, Thumbheed said:

Been done in all of time. 

 

Lazy to call someone weak for sometimes needing a quick win to gain a bit of confidence - that goes for all scenarios in life.

 

I don't think he needs a confidence boost, he's playing the role he's being asked very well for us. Imagine Shearer going for individual goal records and being told he had to hand the ball over. He pretty much told Robinson to fuck off when he tried it.

 

 

Edited February 20 by Optimistic Nut

[Thumbheed]

27 minutes ago, Optimistic Nut said:

 

I don't think he needs a confidence boost, he's playing the role he's being asked very well for us. Imagine Shearer going for individual goal records and being told he had to hand the ball over. He pretty much told Robinson to fuck off when he tried it.

 

 

 

I mean if he asked for it, Im guessing he wanted it for a reason other than vanity. 

 

Again with the comparison to Shearer. I'm genuinly not sure what the parallel is with Shearer's role as talismanic goalscorer and Gordon's role as assigned penalty taker outside the title alone.

 

If Gordon was on goal 20 at this point in the season, I'd understand a bit more. As things stand he's only really performed in the CL, which aligns to a deeper narrative about Gordon that bugs many fans, me included.

 

 

[500bhp]

Our £69m record signing bought as a CF is now playing in MF where we already have six good players to cover three places. Only at Newcastle could this happen 😁. 

[alexf]

Crikey some folks on here will bicker about anything and also embellish stories to fit their narrative.

 

At most Nick might have asked to take the pen (as he should as a striker) and Gordon said no. Fine no problem. The only issue really was Trippier getting in hump about it. Didn't see any antics from Nick. The way people are going on it's as if it was like the Palmer, Madueke Jackson squabble at Chelsea a little while back. Now if Nick had done something like that and thrown a hissy and tried to snatch the ball like a child etc. I would understand the criticism. 

 

But he didn't. He has played well a number of times now in a withdrawn role and is doing what Howe asks of him for the betterment of the team, rather than sulking and demanding he only be played as number 9. 

 

If you wana lay into the lad because he's struggled to fit into a system he's rarely played before, in a new league and against better opposition than he would have previously faced, then that says more about you in my opinion. These aren't excuses they are just context.

[Interpolic]

It was nowt. The Trippier/Gordon interview cleared it up. No bother, move on. 

 

Not surprised to see the fat greedy bastard True Geordie ranting about it - needs some drama for his views when we're winning. Doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself. 

 

Some ridiculously harsh comments about Nick in here, who has slotted into that midfield role seamlessly. Having technical, press-proof players in there means we're missing Bruno less. Fair play to Nick, looks good there. 

 

We've won our last 3 away games 11-3 and some people are obsessing over the opposition standard, cheer the fuck up ffs. 

[Loki679]

1 minute ago, Interpolic said:

It was nowt. The Trippier/Gordon interview cleared it up. No bother, move on. 

 

Not surprised to see the fat greedy bastard True Geordie ranting about it - needs some drama for his views when we're winning. Doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself. 

 

Some ridiculously harsh comments about Nick in here, who has slotted into that midfield role seamlessly. Having technical, press-proof players in there means we're missing Bruno less. Fair play to Nick, looks good there. 

 

We've won our last 3 away games 11-3 and some people are obsessing over the opposition standard, cheer the fuck up ffs. 

 

We've been saying for ages that he needs to play deeper off a main striker and, now that he finally is and is performing well in the role, people are moaning about that

[Myleftboot]

6 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

It was nowt. The Trippier/Gordon interview cleared it up. No bother, move on. 

 

Not surprised to see the fat greedy bastard True Geordie ranting about it - needs some drama for his views when we're winning. Doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself. 

 

Some ridiculously harsh comments about Nick in here, who has slotted into that midfield role seamlessly. Having technical, press-proof players in there means we're missing Bruno less. Fair play to Nick, looks good there. 

 

We've won our last 3 away games 11-3 and some people are obsessing over the opposition standard, cheer the fuck up ffs. 

Looks like he’s lost a bit of weight to be fair.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

8 hours ago, TheBrownBottle said:

He’s dropping deeper because he wasn’t making the grade as a forward, not because of a genius move. 

 

Absolute nonsense. 

[Interpolic]

4 minutes ago, Myleftboot said:

Looks like he’s lost a bit of weight to be fair.

 

Bloke's got loads of money yet he'll try to get Howe sacked or push disgusting right wing views for a bit more of it. He's a fat greedy mess, whatever his waist size is. 

[Mole]

5 minutes ago, Super Duper Branko Strupar said:

 

Absolute nonsense. 

Aye, it says a lot more about the midfield options and their performances than it does Woltemade himself that such a decision was made.

[Super Duper Branko Strupar]

32 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

It was nowt. The Trippier/Gordon interview cleared it up. No bother, move on. 

 

Not surprised to see the fat greedy bastard True Geordie ranting about it - needs some drama for his views when we're winning. Doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself. 

 

Some ridiculously harsh comments about Nick in here, who has slotted into that midfield role seamlessly. Having technical, press-proof players in there means we're missing Bruno less. Fair play to Nick, looks good there. 

 

We've won our last 3 away games 11-3 and some people are obsessing over the opposition standard, cheer the fuck up ffs. 

 

He rants about it for the same reason he rants about the brain dead right wing stuff. Because he's thick as fuck. 

[LiquidAK]

Seems pretty obvious that Woltemade has struggled to fit into the Isak role and will need some adaption from both the player and the team to make him work as the lone striker longer term. Never something that was going to happen overnight or in half a season.

 

At the same time we've lost our creative outlet in midfield with Bruno's injury, so the solution is to play Woltemade there and make use of his excellent control and passing to fill that gap, and tbf it's worked an absolute treat on the 2 games so far.

 

It's so clearly a tactical decision and one that's looking fruitful. "Hiding" ffs, every day N-O plumbs new lows.

[CPL]

44 minutes ago, Interpolic said:

It was nowt. The Trippier/Gordon interview cleared it up. No bother, move on. 

 

Not surprised to see the fat greedy bastard True Geordie ranting about it - needs some drama for his views when we're winning. Doesn't give a fuck about anyone but himself. 

 

Some ridiculously harsh comments about Nick in here, who has slotted into that midfield role seamlessly. Having technical, press-proof players in there means we're missing Bruno less. Fair play to Nick, looks good there. 

 

We've won our last 3 away games 11-3 and some people are obsessing over the opposition standard, cheer the fuck up ffs. 

Well said 👏

[Groundhog63]

7 minutes ago, LiquidAK said:

Seems pretty obvious that Woltemade has struggled to fit into the Isak role and will need some adaption from both the player and the team to make him work as the lone striker longer term. Never something that was going to happen overnight or in half a season.

 

At the same time we've lost our creative outlet in midfield with Bruno's injury, so the solution is to play Woltemade there and make use of his excellent control and passing to fill that gap, and tbf it's worked an absolute treat on the 2 games so far.

 

It's so clearly a tactical decision and one that's looking fruitful. "Hiding" ffs, every day N-O plumbs new lows.

 

5 minutes ago, CPL said:

Well said 👏

This ☝️

[Displayname]

Gordon gets so much irrational hate towards him it's ridicolous. 

He is on track to breaking the CL record for goals in a season (if we ignore Mbappe this season). Ofcourse he is going to take that pen. If we can't accomodate players going for records like that because that doesn't make them a team player, we aren't ever going to get a great striker.

 

Woltemade asking to take it, fine.

Trippier throwing a hissy fit because his authority wasn't respected, slighty pathetic.

[HayDen Traces]

1 minute ago, Displayname said:

Gordon gets so much irrational hate towards him it's ridicolous. 

He is on track to breaking the CL record for goals in a season (if we ignore Mbappe this season). Ofcourse he is going to take that pen. If we can't accomodate players going for records like that because that doesn't make them a team player, we aren't ever going to get a great striker.

 

Woltemade asking to take it, fine.

Trippier throwing a hissy fit because his authority wasn't respected, slighty pathetic.

Well said mate

[GEFAFWISP]

Real proper short man energy in some of the criticism. If we need to drop failing strikers back to make them good Wissa should be in goal soon.

 

 

Edited February 20 by GEFAFWISP

[HayDen Traces]

Nick could follow the pattern of big Joe and Howe could transform him from an ineffective striker to a midfield powerhouse. 

This past week appears to show us that Howe is trying to find Nick's long term role in this team.

[Elliottman]

Walked past him on market street yesterday tea time, bottled a selfie. Furious with myself. 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

17 minutes ago, Elliottman said:

Walked past him on market street yesterday tea time, bottled a selfie. Furious with myself. 

 

Lame. 

[Holloway]

It's like some have forgotten the options we've craved for some time. He doesn't need to be the lone striker does he ? We are looking at a more fluid attack with pace with Nick slightly withdrawn, Eddie is working on it and it's looking encouraging to me

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I just like having a technical player, an unusual player and it's interesting to see the problem being worked on and the new things we're trying.

 

To frame it as a failure of Nick is a fairly uncharitable way to put it. 

[The Prophet]

Just now, Holloway said:

It's like some have forgotten the options we've craved for some time. He doesn't need to be the lone striker does he ? We are looking at a more fluid attack with pace with Nick slightly withdrawn, Eddie is working on it and it's looking encouraging to me

 

For some time now, we've craved players with a bit of technical flair, who are comfortable on the ball.

 

In Ramsey and Woltamade we have that. 

[KaKa]

Eddie:

 

"He seems really happy. What you see is what you get with Nick. He's always laughing, been very good in the dressing room.

 

"He's built a really close relationship with Malick (Thiaw) which is great to see him build that with one of his teammates but he's also well liked by the group. That's a big thing for any player.

 

"The guys really respect and like his personality and the fact he's very much a team player. He doesn't take himself too seriously, he's one of the lads, so when I hear reports that he's not happy, that's not the player I'm seeing.

 

"He's looked really good on the pitch in the last few games, performing at a really high level."

[The College Dropout]

22 hours ago, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Formations are vastly overemphasised in general anyway. It’s much more about how and where the players are told to move when the ball is in various places. 

I think the players (their profiles, their personalities) is the most important thing.

Woltemade can't move like Joelinton, so it automatically becomes a different setup, even if he's told to move in the same way. He actually plays the role similarly. He's primed to support the striker most and get in the box. Beats his CM 1v1 (Wolte with feet, skill, strength - Joe bulldozes). Joe with his dribbling and pace pulls wide and will sometimes make runs like a winger, he also makes runs like a striker (that bendy one Schar finds him with). Wolte has different styles and attributes but largely the job is the same.

 

From what I saw of the Qarabag game, Willock seemed more reserved. But we were up early and away in Europe. Probably sensible for one of the 8's to be more cautious.

 

It's a big reason why managers talk about mentality so much. Even with positional play managers like Pep - what matters most is motivated players being placed to maximise their ability.

 

Aside: I think this is why Pep has signed the likes of Cherki, Sememyo even Haaland. Modern tactics have made positional play less effective and players capable of overpowering or a bit of magic are a way to navigate that