Rooney was working as a pundit on Newcastle's 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League
Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney
Former Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney(Image: Getty Images)
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Former Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney believes the plight of Newcastle United forwards Yoane Wissa and Nick Woltemade in recent months is the club's biggest problem.
And he has cited something he saw while working at St James' Park after Newcastle's 1-1 draw with Barcelona in the Champions League as a major cause for concern.
Rooney was part of Amazon Prime's punditry team on Tuesday evening as Harvey Barnes' late strike was cancelled out by Lamine Yamal's equaliser from the penalty spot with the last kick of the game.
And while Rooney was impressed with Newcastle's performance, and particularly Magpies midfielder Joelinton, he was not impressed with what he saw from Wissa and Woltemade in the aftermath of the game.
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"Newcastle were really good," Rooney told the Overlap.
"That's twice I have watched Barcelona this season - Chelsea away and Newcastle - and I just think the tempo and intensity of the Premier League is too much for them.
"They will probably go through when they go back to Barcelona but I thought Newcastle were aggressive against them, didn't give them time on the ball and Barcelona, normally where you see them take the ball, didn't really dictate the game at all and Newcastle just missed that last little bit in the final third.
"Joelinton, though, I think he is brilliant. I love watching Joelinton. They haven't been as good in the league but they were unfortunate.
"The problem they have got is the two lads up top, Wissa and Woltemade. I was watching them run after the game last night, two players who they have spent a lot of money on and they aren't playing, in the running with the players who didn't play after the game, the two of them were at the back.
"They were doing the box to box runs and the two of them were lagging behind. You would think when you have come into a club who have spent a lot of money on you, you're not playing and you have not had an impact.
"The Barcelona lads were doing at the same time and the difference..."
Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade (left) and Yoane Wissa
Newcastle United's Nick Woltemade (left) and Yoane Wissa
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Neither Wissa or Woltemade, who were signed for a combined £124million in the summer, played a single minute against the Spanish champions.
The pair have not scored in the Premier League since the turn of the year and Anthony Gordon has been preferred to them in a central role up front in recent weeks, as opposed to his natural position as a winger.
Woltemade has 10 goals to his name this season but the goals have dried up in the last three months. Meanwhile, Wissa, who scored 20 goals last season, has just three to his name this term after missing his first three months as a Newcastle player through injury.
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