There have been a few trouble-spots on the pitch for the German national team in recent years, but the lack of a striker has been at the forefront of concern for many fans.
When Nick Woltemade emerged at VfB Stuttgart, it was almost if the Germans had finally caught a lucky break and found a solution at the No. 9 position. When Woltemade moved to Newscastle United last summer, though. there was risk involved as it pertained to his position with the German national team. If Woltemade sputtered, he could
end up on the bench and cost himself the opportunity to star in North American this summer.
After a hot start. Woltemade has cooled off and — by some accounts — fallen out of favor. Any slippage, though, has not changed how Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann feels about Woltemade.
“He’s a young player who needs time to develop, as you can see now in Newcastle,” Nagelsmann told Kicker (as captured by Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg). “So, I don’t expect him to score 15 goals in Newcastle and then shoot us to a World Cup title. He’s welcome to do that, but it would be extraordinary. I told him only last week to stay relaxed. We have trust in him.”
Wotemade has 11 goals and four assists in 45 games across all competitions so far this season, but has been engulfed in a recent cold spell. Germany will need a confident and in-form Woltemade to be successful at the World Cup. Will he be up to the task?
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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