Nick Woltemade: Why Newcastle’s striker faces Premier League doubts

Last season, Nick Woltemade found himself at the centre of a proxy battle between part of Newcastle’s online fanbase and head coach Eddie Howe.

The argument was that Howe had been using the German incorrectly. Those who believed the issue was more fundamental — that Woltemade was simply ill-suited to the Premier League, and particularly to Newcastle — were often caught in the middle.

Now, just 12 months after joining Newcastle from Stuttgart as the club’s £69million record signing, Woltemade is set to move to Juventus on a season-long loan worth £3.5million. The deal includes neither an obligation nor an option to buy — a scenario that would have seemed almost impossible when he arrived.

His Newcastle career began impressively. He scored the winner on his debut and converted each of his first six shots on target. Was that ruthless efficiency or a run that could not last? The latter suspicion was ultimately proved correct.

As Daily Mail Sport observed at the time, Woltemade appeared to be the missing piece for somebody else’s puzzle. He was gifted and charismatic, but seemed to lack the qualities required to survive — and flourish — in the Premier League.

As one club source put it this week: ‘He was just caught in the wrong movie.’

There is no animosity towards Woltemade from within the club, among his team-mates, supporters or observers. One insider calls him a ‘diamond of a guy’. Howe admired his sense of humour, particularly during a journey through Marseille rush hour ahead of a Champions League press conference in November, when Woltemade kept him entertained.

Even so, Newcastle’s hierarchy had increasingly accepted that the transfer was a panicked decision made at an inflated price. That became difficult to ignore during the 25 matches that followed his early scoring burst, when he managed only three goals.

His supporters were not without a case when they argued that Newcastle were failing to play to his strengths. Woltemade was supplied by underperforming wingers and often became isolated as a lone central striker in a side without a No 10.

There was internal sympathy for him, too, but it gradually diminished over the weeks and months. Woltemade was not doing enough to improve his situation, either in training or during matches. Some within the club believed he had absorbed the criticism from outside and accepted the idea that tactical flaws, rather than his own performances, were the main problem.

The lowest point arrived at Manchester City in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final in early February. After 20 minutes, coach Graeme Jones shouted at Woltemade to push higher up the pitch. Shortly before that, with City’s high defensive line offering space to attack, he had dropped towards the ball on the halfway line in front of their centre backs.

Woltemade did not have the pace — or the inclination — to make runs in behind. That is not the type of player he is. Yet the moment seemed to confirm that his future as a Premier League striker had run out. He was substituted at half-time after managing just 11 touches and failing to attempt a shot.

Ten days later, Howe moved him into midfield for the FA Cup tie at Aston Villa, where he scored in a 3-1 victory. For a short time, the experiment appeared to offer a solution. It soon unravelled, however. Woltemade lacked the intensity, running power and aggression demanded in midfield, while his display in the 3-2 home defeat by Everton in late February — he was withdrawn 10 minutes into the second half — effectively ended the experiment.

As respected Newcastle supporter website nufc.com put it: ‘Unless he’s in the opposition box, he’s no threat to them and no use to us.’

It was revealing that Woltemade remained an unused substitute for both legs of Newcastle’s Champions League last-16 defeat by Barcelona. He then made a surprise start at No 10 in the 2-1 derby loss to Sunderland at St James’ Park. His 65-minute display was too similar to his earlier efforts in other positions: passive, lacking penetration and increasingly error-prone in possession. His loose touch may have reflected confidence that had already disappeared.

Hope returned over the summer, following a World Cup campaign and the appointment of fellow German Matthias Jaissle as Newcastle manager. It did not last long. From the opening pre-season friendly, it was apparent that Woltemade was an even poorer fit for Jaissle’s preferred style of play.

By now, even his staunchest backers had lowered their arms. There was no fight left in them and, seemingly, precious little in Woltemade. There remains a very good footballer in there. But, for Newcastle, his best position was always likely to be this – somewhere else.