Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade has struggled to become a hit at Newcastle United.
With just 10 goals and 4 assists in 44 appearances for Newcastle across all competitions, Woltemade’s life hasn’t been made easier by his move to attacking midfield. The player has always been a great out-and-out striker with excellent hold-up play, which hasn’t had the chance to shine for the Premier League outfit.
German national team coach Julian Nagelsmann was asked about Nick Woltemade’s struggles at Newcastle in a recent
interview (captured by @iMiaSanMia). He responded, “Nick is a very pleasant guy who exudes a lot of positive energy. He’s undoubtedly going through a tough time, but that’s normal. He’s done well for us. He can start but also come on as a substitute because he has an unorthodox style of play. I think being here with us will help him.”
Woltemade is certainly a gifted player, and it is nice to see Nagelsmann expressing his support for a striker who could be crucial for the German National Team come World Cup time. In an era where the team is experiencing a dearth of top-notch no. 9 options, Woltemade could be a breath of fresh air. However, Nagelsmann added that “He’s often playing very deep for Newcastle now, and when he plays as a holding midfielder, he has a lot of distance to cover to get to the goal. He’s not a counter-attacking striker who runs at 36 km/h.” The coach seems to think that Woltemade is not being used the right way and is therefore not thriving in Newcastle’s system.
Nagelsmann then promised that “he won’t be 80 meters away from goal for us. He won’t play in those kinds of games.” This is good news, since the German NT could really use a clinical striker to finish all the chances served by the likes of Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz. Germany has been producing far too many midfielders and little to no top-notch strikers (one needs to go as far back as Miroslav Klose), and this has played a huge role in the lack of success the team has experienced in major tournaments.
Nagelsmann finally added, “I rate him highly as a player and as a person. It’s normal, new culture, new league, new city. He also needed time at Stuttgart. I have confidence in him. Everything will be alright.”
This is very good and will definitely help the player’s confidence in what has been a testing time. Woltemade at striker could significantly increase Germany’s chances of success in the FIFA 2026 World Cup.
