Nick Woltemade (c) and Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United on the field together for the first time during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth on January 10, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)placeholder image
Nick Woltemade (c) and Yoane Wissa of Newcastle United on the field together for the first time during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Newcastle United and AFC Bournemouth on January 10, 2026 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Newcastle United spent around £124million to sign Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa last summer.
Eddie Howe faces a tough decision over who will lead Newcastle United’s attack away to Tottenham Hotspur tonight (kick-off 7:30pm).
The Magpies head to North London looking to end a run of three successive Premier League defeats, a poor run of form that has seen them drop to 12th in the table and 10 points below the top five.
After qualifying for the Champions League and winning the Carabao Cup last year, Howe’s side have underperformed this term and Saturday saw supporters voice their frustration for arguably the first time after the team were booed at the end of their 3-2 defeat at home to Brentford.
Eddie Howe on what Newcastle United must do better
Immediately after the match, Howe cut a dejected figure and took “full responsibility” for the recent struggles. He also stated that he needed to do his job better.
Around 30 hours or so later, Howe was back in front of the media on Monday morning and was asked what needed to change.
“Firstly, I think we have to defend better,” Howe said. “I think when you look back at the last run of games, we haven't defended our goal well enough, that's cost us in those games, so I think it's a simple thing to say and sometimes a difficult thing to execute, but we need to find solutions to our defensive vulnerabilities.
“And of course we need to be more clinical the other way, I think the two things go hand in hand. We've not defended well enough and we haven't been clinical enough the other end, so it's a bad mix and that's the big issues for us.”
Newcastle United’s £124million striker problem
Newcastle are currently without two key defenders in Tino Livramento and Fabian Schar, which, in part, could be used as a reason for their defensive issues.
But at striker, Howe has a full complement. However, who to play is a problem, and not in a positive way.
Nick Woltemade initially made a big impact following his £69million club-record summer move from Stuttgart, but has only scored twice since Yoane Wissa returned from a knee injury in December.
While Woltemade appears low on confidence, Wissa looks short of match fitness, having spent the opening three months of his Newcastle career on the sidelines. In his 18 appearances since joining from Brentford for £55m, the 29-year-old has scored just three goals.
Newcastle paid a combined £124m to sign Woltemade and Wissa to ultimately move on from Alexander Isak, who joined Liverpool for a British record £130m. However, heading into the remaining few months of the campaign, Howe admits he has yet to find a solution with either centre-forward.
“It’s a valid question,” Howe said. “It’s part of the preparation when you’re reviewing a game, which is what I did late Saturday night and most of yesterday. You’re looking at the structure of the team.
“The most important ends of the pitch are how you defend your goal and how you attack the opposition’s goal. We need to find the best solution for the next game. That may be something that keeps evolving until we find the solution that we like.
“We have new players that we’re trying to bed into the team format. I’ve got to be honest, it’s not quite functioned fully yet, with the players mentioned. That is something we have to continue to do (find a solution) until we like the look of it.
Step forward Will Osula?
It is Woltemade and Wissa’s distinct lack of form that has led to genuine calls to play Will Osula, who has started just one Premier League game for Newcastle since arriving from Sheffield United for an initial £10m in August 2024.
The Magpies were ready to allow Osula to leave in the summer as he came very close to joining German side Eintracht Frankfurt. His long-term future remains in doubt, but he may yet be given the opportunity to prove himself in the short-term.
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