Newcastle United team news: Nick Woltemade’s role at Newcastle has been the subject of much discussion and debate this season.
Is he a midfielder, is he a striker, a No. 10? All that matters for Howe and indeed Newcastle is that Woltemade is playing well and to his strengths.
The German striker started the season for Newcastle up front and got off to a brilliant start with six goals from his first six shots on target for the club. It was a remarkable but unsustainable record as he’s found the net just a further four times since.
Nick Woltemade ‘very, very happy’ in deeper role for NUFC
Still, the 24-year-old is into double figures in his debut season at Newcastle and has come through a difficult spell between December and early February to impress in the side, playing a deeper role.
It has caused debate on social media with some supporters arguing Woltemade is being wasted in midfield when he was signed as a £65million club-record striker.
But supporters will have to get used to this Woltemade experiment as Howe has liked what he’s seen from it so far.
The new role is somewhat different to what Woltemade plays at international level for Germany, where he leads the line as a No. 9.
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And in a World Cup year, Howe was asked whether Woltemade was comfortable about being used in such a way at club level.
"I've had many conversations with Nick on a broad range of subjects,” Howe said. “I think even when he's playing as a No. 9, as we used him, it wasn't to stretch the line.
“It was to come lower on the pitch. So in terms of his Germany career, without speaking for Nick, I think him playing well in any position for us is only going to help supplement that.
“Nick is very, very happy playing the role that he has done the last few games, there’s no fight with him on that. He's very much all in because he wants to showcase his best skills and his best skills are technically helping us link play.
“But what we've seen which maybe has surprised me, has been his tactical understanding and his ability to understand the press, understand what he needs to do defensively, he’s been excellent.
“He does have a sort of freedom on the ball to take up central positions. He has the freedom to drift to a degree across the pitch, so he’s not in a stranglehold by the position in one place.
“Hopefully we’ll see the very best of him, but his position isn't fixed, we can change however we see fit depending on the game."
Joelinton 2.0?
A struggling striker moving into a midfield role draws shades of Joelinton’s transformation under Howe at Newcastle. Albeit Joelinton’s struggles in front of goal were over a much longer period than Woltemade, the Brazilian is now almost exclusively used and viewed as a midfielder in the side.
But Howe was keen not to make that comparison with Woltemade, who he still sees as a ‘deep-lying No. 9’
“No, I wouldn’t necessarily say so,” Howe said when asked if Woltemade could follow Joelinton’s path. “I can understand why you would ask the question, but I’d say Nick was always in our thoughts, a very much a deep-lying player, deep-lying No. 9. All his best work came from starting higher and coming lower.
“Now, just starting lower and staying in the middle line, I don’t think is a great change. Of course, there’s different things you need to bring in that position, but I think he’s played really, really well there the last few games. I’ve been very impressed with him.
“None more so than the Qarabag game in the first leg, I thought he was outstanding that day.
“Who knows what the future holds for him, but I just think he’s a very, very good attacker for us and we’ll use him in a variety of positions.”
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