Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur - Eddie Howe pre-match press conference review
Nick Woltemade cut a frustrated figure during Newcastle United’s 2-1 win over Fulham.
Woltemade joined the Magpies from Stuttgart for a club-record £69million and had scored in all three of his Premier League starts at St James’ Park - Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal and Nottingham Forest - prior to the Fulham match.
The 23-year-old hit the post just four minutes in when Kieran Trippier’s in-swinging delivery landed into his path. But after that moment, the Cottagers’ centre-back pairing of Calvin Bassey and Issa Diop seemed to get to grips with the 6ft 6in German.
Although that wasn’t without the allowance of referee Peter Bankes, who waved away several United appeals for a free-kick when Woltemade was clearly having his shirt pulled by either defender.
Eddie Howe on Nick Woltemade shirt pulling
Howe has sympathised with the 23-year-old, admitting there were “one or two” fouls Bankes missed, however challenged his striker to find a “solution” regardless of how he’s being handled by opposition defenders.
Asked if Woltemade’s height meant he wasn’t getting a ‘fair go from referees’, Howe replied: “I think it was one or two looking at the weekend that I think were fouls that weren't given. Yeah, I think that's fair to say and I think Nick felt the same way.
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“But I think Nick's going to have to come up with all sorts of different challenges from defenders, however they see best to defend against him. Some might go aggressive, some might go a little bit more withdrawn but he needs to find a solution to figure out best to play against that and we'll help him with that.
“I think he's going to face a lot of different challenges this season because it's all new to him. But I think that'll be a learning experience for the Fulham game for him.”
Nick Woltemade has already questioned the officials this season
Following the 2-1 defeat to Arsenal last month, Woltemade revealed his frustration after Gabriel went unpunished despite striking him in the face.
Woltemade told Sky Sports (via BBC Sport): "After the goal, there was a situation [where] I felt his elbow in my face in two metres, so his arm has to be really high.
“I don't know, I just said it to the referee that I felt something in the face and I think it's not right to feel something in the face but I'm not the type of player to fall down for this. It's hard because sometimes maybe you have to do this but this is not my type of football.
"He said sorry after, so I think he knew he hit me in my face. I didn't solve the situation to be honest.
"I don't like this, if you do some things in game and then a few seconds you say sorry, that's not part of the game. I like this situation where you can have a good battle but his elbow should not be in my face."
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