Premier League news: Should Nick Woltemade remain in Newcastle XI after thriving in new role?
Newcastle United’s fourth-round FA Cup victory over Aston Villa saw a different midfield set-up as Nick Woltemade took up an attacking midfield role.
With another away fixture coming up against Manchester City, should Woltemade remain in Eddie Howe’s starting eleven?
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Mosaddek Abu explains why the 24-year-old’s new role should keep him in the team.
Howe’s experiment at Villa Park
Newcastle's recent victory at Villa Park involved Woltemade stepping into the No.10 role as the Magpies carried on without Bruno Guimaraes, who was out with injury.
The need for experimentation pushed the German into an attacking midfielder position.
Howe’s experiment paid off, with Woltemade succeeding at his job despite dropping deep a few times.
He linked the midfield to the attack well, creating fluidity that the Aston Villa defence struggled to handle.
Woltemade, remember, made a positive start to life at the Magpies, scoring six goals from his first six efforts on target, but he had recently gone through a drought.
Indeed, his goal against Villa was his first since a brace against Chelsea back in December.
There is no denying his struggles within Newcastle’s attack, and playing him up front has meant that Howe’s side haven’t been able to press teams with the intensity, pace, and physicality they need, which ultimately holds them back.
When Woltemade plays up front, he struggles to make links in attack and cannot run in behind – this means the team cannot progress further up the pitch and press teams as they are used to doing.
As a result, Howe has been searching for a way to make things work with the German, even if he doesn’t play up front.
Recent training sessions have seen him try out Woltemade in a midfield role, with his creativity reportedly better deployed there.
Solution to Nick Woltemade problem?
It’s safe to say that Woltemade, in the role of a 10, has been entirely different.
He can drive into the space between the defenders and pick out a few attackers, leading them into the penalty area.
If he continued playing as a striker, the team would not pose a threat going forward – they would lose their intensity and be unable to come at teams with pace.
Keeping the 24-year-old behind the attack, with either Yoane Wissa or Anthony Gordon up front, provides attacking pace and a threat to the opposition, which is something that has been missing from the Magpies this season.
Amid a relentless schedule, Howe needs alternative strategies and solutions.
Now, after a tricky start on Tyneside, a solution is there for Woltemade.
He should therefore start at the Etihad – if he doesn’t, he risks falling out of favour for good.
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