Newcastle United v Benfica: Jose Mourinho has spoken about Nick Woltemade and Alexander Isak.
Benfica will walk out on Tyneside tonight having been beaten on both of their Champions League outings this season. Mourinho, who wasn’t in the dugout for their defeat to Qarabag back in September, couldn’t prevent his new club from falling to a 1-0 loss to Chelsea during their last league phase match.
Benfica’s trip to St James’ Park marks just the second time these two clubs have ever met in competitive action - although neither club will begin tonight’s match in great form. Newcastle United were beaten 2-1 by Brighton on Saturday and have had a stuttering start to the season as they go through somewhat of a transitional phase on the pitch.
Isak’s move to Liverpool, along with departures of some influential figures during the summer, means that Eddie Howe has been forced to change the way his team play, and those changes will take time to bed in. Defensively they have been very good this season, but have lacked sharpness and threat up-front.
Jose Mourinho’s Alexander Isak transfer verdict and Nick Woltemade praise
Nick Woltemade’s brilliant start to life on Tyneside aside, Newcastle’s attack has looked blunt and often relied on a moment of magic from the German or a set-piece to get them a goal. This isn’t just a new problem, though, and was one that reared its head during the final weeks of last season as they stumbled over the line to qualify for the Champions League.
The summer was then a difficult one for the Magpies to navigate with Isak’s departure meaning Howe was forced to reshape his attack with Yoane Wissa, Woltemade and Anthony Elanga all joining the club. Mourinho, who will hope to take advantage of Newcastle United’s shyness in-front of goal tonight, did admit he had sympathy for the situation the Magpies found themselves in towards the end of the summer window, but praised Woltemade for adapting to life on Tyneside so quickly.
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“What happened with Isak in the summer is very difficult for a club, very difficult for a coach and very difficult even for the fellow players,” Mourinho said. “I think in the end everyone knew that he is going to leave to Liverpool, but it’s one thing everyone knowing he is to leave and another thing it is done.
“When it is done, you move on and when it is done you have a new player. When you have a new player you train and adapt and play with the new player because Isak and Woltemade are different players.
“There is always a period of transition for new players but it looks like this boy [Woltemade] has been here all his life. He is performing, he is adapting and he is loved by the fans. Newcastle is doing things right.”
Newcastle United’s clash with Benfica kicks-off at 8pm tonight and will be broadcast on TNT Sports in the United Kingdom.
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