**Newcastle United have been lacking something this season when it comes to attacking, and nowhere is that more obvious than when the Magpies play away from home.**
Somehow, Newcastle seem to manage to perform decently at St James' Park, but as soon as they leave the NE postcode for another Premier League opponent, they lose their ability to attack.
Everyone has spotted the issue, and we're sure that Eddie Howe has too, but just can't come up with a plan to fix it.
Nick Woltemade is an entirely different type of striker from what Eddie Howe is used to playing with, namely Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak, who were both quick and poachers, albeit Isak also had the ability to beat a man or two.
> [](https://twitter.com/5liveSport/status/1988290628523094403?s=20)
It's hard to disagree with Chris Sutton here
Woltemade doesn't have that pace, and that's fine if the team adapts the way they play to compensate, and that's what has been missing, as pointed out by Chris Sutton on BBC Five Live.
> “Your team is only as good as the centre forward, and he doesn’t have pace. The movement in behind has to come from other areas, and they aren’t doing that enough.“When Isak played as a centre forward, defenders would be reluctant to really get so tight with him because he had that movement in behind. Woltemade doesn’t; he just doesn’t run in behind.“I think it’s a massive problem because it has to come from Joelinton or the wide areas. I just think that he’s… he’s scored goals, his numbers are pretty good, but it makes them so predictable in the way that they play.
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> “I think it’s a problem. It will be really interesting when Wissa gets fit, how Eddie Howe goes about that, will he play him off Woltemade? But at least they will carry that threat from a central striking position.”
It's time for a big change
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Big Nick has done an amazing job for Newcastle, given how badly the team are letting him down. He has been very conservative with his shot and only taken them when he feels they have an above 90% chance of hitting the net, which is something we'd like to see change. We've been saying that about everyon,e though, just have a shot, anything can happen.
We have two of the fastest wingers in the Premier League who should be able to more than make up for Woltemade's lack of pace, but they're just not doing the business.
The whole team feels like everyone is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. The system needs a big shakeup.