Newcastle ‘need more’ from striker Woltemade
Germany international has been back in the goals for his country
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe says record signing Nick Woltemade has made a fine start at the club but they need more from the forward.
The tall striker scored five goals in his first eight games for the club but has gone off the boil as the Magpiiess slumped to 14th place in the Premier League table.
Howe is hoping the three he scored in World Cup qualifiers against Luxembourg and Slovakia will set the 23-year-old off and running once again.
Howe said: “I have to say considering the lack of training time we’ve had with him, I think he’s done really, really well and he’s tried to implement as well as he can what we’ve asked him to do.
“He started off really well in terms of goals. I think those goals in the international break will do him the world of good as well.
“Confidence is everything to a centre-forward, so I think he can be really pleased with himself. But we have to demand more and we need more from him in the sense that he’s the focal point of the team.
“It’s such an important position. Everything will come around him in terms of our performance, so there are big expectations on him, there’s big pressure on his shoulders. He’s handled that really well so far.
“And then, of course, the team behind him have to deliver for him as well and we haven’t done that well enough in the last couple of away games.”
With fellow summer arrival Yoane Wissa yet to kick a ball for Newcastle – and still out – the onus is on Woltemade to help arrest Newcastle’s poor domestic form.
This weekend they face Manchester City, who Howe has yet to beat in 18 Premier League meetings.