Jump to content

Recommended Posts

1 hour ago, McCormick said:


How’s his attitude been stinking?

Failing to chase balls down, feigning injury, getting sent off stupidly, complaining at teams mates, etc.

 

All whilst not being particularly great at his job.

 

 

Edited by Heron

Link to post
Share on other sites

Gordon presses and chases balls down more than any of our other attackers

 

You can see the difference with him up front to Wissa and Nick

Link to post
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, joeyt said:

Gordon presses and chases balls down more than any of our other attackers

 

You can see the difference with him up front to Wissa and Nick

He is more effective at doing it than Nick Woltemade. Largely because Woltemade is like 9ft tall. Wissa has barely played.

 

Gordon professes to be a LW and has done little more than Elanga domestically. He professes to be a striker but misses a lot of opportunities that he is occasionally in the right place to take.

 

Aside from penalties and games against Qarabag He hasn't really done all that much since about early January last season.

 

There are elements of what he does that is not befitting of the rest of the team and that concerns me.

 

Meanwhile, Woltemade (who you could argue also isn't a number 9) is getting pelters currently. Looks void of confidence and is trying his best.

 

Very few of the playing squad can claim to be consistently rolling out 7+ performances. Perhaps not even any of them (Bruno is probably the closest to this). Yet, they don't appear to give anything up like Gordon does and hence why I feel aggrieved when lads like Woltemade get the shit they do, or Murphy or Burn previously. 

 

 

Edited by Heron

Link to post
Share on other sites

7 minutes ago, RodneyCisse said:

We’d not even be chatting about him if murph had put away his gift of an assist,  last week.

It would have helped his stats and maybe \ hopefully given him a lift but his second half performance in that game was awful... I know there are caveats regarding opposition, being through etc. but a couple of times in the second half he was dispossessed so easily by a rubbish centre half and his first touch in and around the box was poor.

First time I've really been frustrated \ disappointed with him and there are caveats as I've said and as mentioned his confidence looks shot as well but he still has to do better.  They all do!

 

But he is the big signing, German International etc. so the pressure is more on him, rightly or wrongly. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Smal said:

If we have to change the system or approach to suit a player, then the player actually has to be good enough to justify that, and Woltemade - who I’m seemingly more of a fan of than most - hasn’t looked that good.

 

The only mismanagement of Woltemade was taking him out of the team when a clearly nowhere near ready Wissa was available for selection. The rest that’s lacking - the physicality, the technical ability, the desire, the aggression - is all on Woltemade.

 

It's not to suit "a" player though. The team is worn down, we are missing key players to fill their usual roles, and rather than make even the most minor of tweaks that might play to the strengths of those players he does have available (to include Nick, but others as well), he remains steadfast in the 4-3-3 high press (which is usually just Gordon chasing the goalkeeper around and hopefully not getting red cards in the process).

 

Maybe I'm ignorant as to how much of a difference a shift to a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-4-2 would be, but it's clear the team is tired, hurt, and/or playing out of their natural position more times than not. (For the record, I'd argue that beyond pulling Nick for Wissa, moving him to midfield was another massive case of mismanagement.)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Real shame he wasn’t fit to play tonight, I think it would have been one of the only games to have really suited him tonight. Tonnes of gaps, a four at the back for them and the game was played at a slow pace generally throughout. 
 

He’d have done well imho. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the time away will do him good honestly. As well as we played in a 4-4-1 yesterday in the second half, I'd love to see Nick and Gordon up top in a 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1.

Link to post
Share on other sites

From Kicker, Germany's most important sports magazine:
 

Woltemade: The paradox of his goal-scoring crisis

Nick Woltemade is one of the players that national coach Julian Nagelsmann spoke about at length in a major interview with kicker magazine. According to Nagelsmann, the former Stuttgart player doesn't have to worry about his World Cup spot, even though things aren't going particularly well for Newcastle United at the moment. Why is that? An analysis.

 

Psychologically, Julian Nagelsmann is doing everything right with regard to Nick Woltemade. In a major interview with kicker, he shows him his appreciation and expresses his confidence in him, because he believes in his fundamental abilities. Although the Magpies' attacking midfielder has been waiting for a Premier League goal since December and missed Wednesday's match against Manchester United (2-1) due to illness, he is not a doubtful member of the World Cup squad this summer. Or, as Nagelsmann puts it: "I told him to stay relaxed."

 

Woltemade and Newcastle's relationship has moved beyond the honeymoon phase. Currently, it's rather complicated. Initially, everything seemed to be going exceptionally well. Unlike Bayern Munich's approach, Stuttgart's interest from the English club was met with an immediate positive response, because suddenly a price range was being discussed that the German champions weren't willing to demand. Max Eberl's famous question, "Is Woltemade worth 80 million?", was answered by Newcastle United, or rather their Saudi Arabian owners, with a weary smile and indirectly with: "For us, yes."

 

The whole situation was also due to a certain amount of necessity and pressure, after Alexander Isak had forced his way to Liverpool and the Champions League participant from northern England had already received several rejections. Woltemade wasn't the first choice, but a good one, as his impressive performances in the first few games, where he scored four goals in five matches, clearly demonstrated. These days, however, he no longer plays as a center forward, but rather as a kind of free spirit in the number 10 role, sometimes even as a number 8.

 

The paradox is this: Woltemade's versatility is all well and good and speaks in his favor, but it costs him credit, at least in the public eye, because suddenly others (if anyone) are scoring for the Magpies. Those who are allowed to play instead of his number nine. Anthony Gordon, for example, actually a winger, or William Osula, or even Yoane Wissa. The latter, however, rather rarely.

 

Woltemade already stood out in Stuttgart for his exceptional ball control and excellent technique, especially considering his height of 1.98 meters. Because of this, and because the Magpies have recently focused more on counter-attacking football, they need Woltemade to play in a deeper central role. And so, by the end of the first half of the season, he had a respectable seven goals to his name, which, among other things, led to kicker magazine ranking Woltemade among their international-class players. Now, however, he still only has seven goals. It's a goal drought, but one that is partly explainable given his position.

 

Despite all the justified appreciation for Nagelsmann, who currently prioritizes fundamental ability over current form, it must be said about Woltemade: he's doing a decent job, but not an outstanding one. His playing time serves as an indicator of this: Woltemade last played a full 90 minutes in the Premier League on December 2nd. And since Germany's national team may have some problem areas, but certainly not in the number 10 position, Woltemade is currently playing in a different zone for his club than he does for the national team. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala are likely to be the first-choice strikers there. And what about Woltemade behind him?

 

Nagelsmann's words may indeed reassure him, but firstly, goals are allowed from deeper positions, and secondly, he might need them for his confidence. On the other hand, Woltemade has earned the status for Germany that Nagelsmann has reflected, because he was reliably present and scored important goals in the World Cup qualifiers.

 

But it would obviously help him a great deal if Newcastle, currently twelfth in the table, could finally turn things around. And climb back up. In the Champions League, they have to prove themselves in the round of 16 against Barcelona. The team – and, if he gets the chance, Woltemade himself – will need to prove himself. Because the whole truth about Woltemade's demotion to midfield also includes the fact that he has benefited from injuries to his competitors. Otherwise, he might be starting on the bench even more often than he already does.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fine for tomorrow according to Eddie.

 

*although Ryder didn’t seem to believe him as after he’d literally just said that, he asked the very next question and requested “an update on Woltemade” 🤣

Link to post
Share on other sites

23 hours ago, SteV said:

Fine for tomorrow according to Eddie.

 

*although Ryder didn’t seem to believe him as after he’d literally just said that, he asked the very next question and requested “an update on Woltemade” 🤣


Literally just came in here to post this :lol:

 

Eddie spends a minute explaining how he’s back and he’s feeling fine and trained yesterday. 
 

literally next question Ryder asks about how the season is shaping up ‘and can we have an update on Woltemade?’

 

Thick as mince. 

Link to post
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Elliottman said:


Literally just came in here to post this :lol:

 

Eddie spends a minute explaining how he’s back and he’s feeling fine and trained yesterday. 
 

literally next question Ryder asks about how the season is shaping up ‘and can we have an update on Woltemade?’

 

Thick as mince. 

 

Its as if he just doesnt bother listening to any of the other questions in the press conference.

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

He’s a sports reporter for a two-bit website. He’s an absolute nobody and one step above some kid on a first year journalism degree.

 

I don’t even know how he has press credentials these days. Don’t the Chronicle just put out AI generated content? Might as well have Adam Pearson in there asking questions. 

 

 

Edited by Miggys First Goal

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...