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NICK WOLTEMADE’S SHIFT IN STYLE SPARKS MAJOR NEWCASTLE UNITED DEBATE

Michael Carrick analyses how Nick Woltemade's link-up play "really matches" his Newcastle teammates, creating a different dynamic than Alexander Isak. The tactical shift creates space for runners, as seen in the win over Fulham.

Nick Woltemade’s shift in style sparks major Newcastle United debate
Newcastle's Nick Woltemade - COURTESY/PHOTO

After Alexander Isak left Newcastle in the summer, Nick Woltemade's style of play "really matches" his teammates, according to Michael Carrick.

At St. James' Park, Bruno Guimaraes scored a thrilling goal in the 90th minute to give Eddie Howe's team three vital points over a faltering Fulham.

There were concerns about how the Magpies would adjust without their lucky striker at the top of the lineup following a summer of significant transition that saw star striker Isak depart in a £125 million transfer.

Although the current season has not started off well, Woltemade, a £69 million acquisition, has already scored five goals and is giving opposing defenses a variety of challenges that help those around him.

"Isak leaving and Woltemade coming in is a tiny shift, but it was a major difference at the time," Carrick told Match of the Day. Since you can see he wants to stand up, Woltemade, it actually works in certain ways for the players surrounding him. The distinction is obvious.

"When Newcastle breaks in middle, Isak will undoubtedly want to rush in behind, therefore the service will be adjusted since they know that Woltemade wants to stand up. The wide guys can therefore get one-on-one in wide areas because there is more room for them to run in behind. However, it also puts more pressure on the other midfielders, the opposing winger, or the other eight to make the box.

"Woltemade is unable to create the box and link the play. In fact, there are players from Newcastle who want to rush past him and into the box. They just recovered possession of the ball after winning it back here in the 4-5-1 formation, and you can see that Woltemade is currently at the top of the "V" formed by the two wide men.

"Suddenly, they begin to link, and he is now the one with more depth. Gordon and Murphy are now beginning to connect. Bassey believes he needs to get tight, thus he wants to be attracted to Woltemade.

"That leaves the area behind, and they worked on it all day in Newcastle. The wide guy occasionally hit that area and had a great chance to take a 2-0 lead. Occasionally, it was a midfield player.

"As the game progressed, Tonali and Joelinton ran into those spaces, and Bruno then attacked them. You can see Tonali sprinting past Woltemade once more, filling the space he left with one or two touches. Tonali gets in behind Bassey as he goes tight once more. They engaged in it in various ways throughout the afternoon.

"The opposing wide player and midfielder have a significant burden of filling the box. The similar idea, except this time there is a large gap in the middle of the goal because Woltemade and Bassey have left. Woltemade connects with the opposing wide player and midfielder in the box once more. Bruno had a huge opportunity to score.

"They finished with a lot of energy, and Eddie talked about finishing strong. The box remained motionless as Bruno entered the pitch in the final minute of the match, followed by Osula, Tonali, and Elanga. Tonali may have gotten the tap in this time, but it only made me notice a change at the top of the pitch. Transition this time, but still in the box.

"They lack a No. 9 who runs in behind, but in reality, it plays to everyone else's strengths because the wingers and eights want to run, and Woltemade, by coming short and linking, creates a lot of space for them to do so, making it difficult to defend.

"They received awards today, despite the fact that it is not simple."

Newcastle will now play two games the following week. On Wednesday, they will host Tottenham in the Carabao Cup before visiting West Ham, who are now in 19th place, two points ahead of Wolves, who are at the bottom.

EXPERT ANALYSIS: EDDIE HOWE IDENTIFIES "CONFIDENCE" AS THE KEY TO FIXING NEWCASTLE’S AWAY FORM

Despite a nervy second half, Eddie Howe’s side clinched their second away win of the season. Read the full Turf Moor match report.

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Eddie Howe says Newcastle are still not "super confident"

Eddie Howe’s team barely scraped by Burnley, grabbing only their second Premier League away win this season.

The Magpies jumped ahead quickly with a goal from Joelinton at Turf Moor. Soon after, Yoane Wissa, in his debut Premier League start for the club, made it 2-0. Josh Laurent then scored an awesome volley, cutting the lead in half. Newcastle clung to their lead until Bruno Guimaraes scored a third goal during stoppage time.

It wasn't a pretty game for Newcastle United on that cold night in Lancashire. They needed those three points, especially after that tough loss to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Friday.

This win nudged Howe’s team into the top half of the Premier League, with Crystal Palace and Leeds United up next. But, let's be real, their play didn't exactly inspire confidence that they've turned things around away from home.

Eddie Howe shared his thoughts on Newcastle United’s win over Burnley. What’s the answer to their away game struggles? Howe thinks it boils down to ‘confidence.’

“I think we've been close before. I feel we're headed in the right direction when you look at how we’re playing, Howe said as he talked about his team’s showing.

“If you keep playing well, you’ll win. Manchester United is a good example. I don’t think we played badly, and we had chances to get more from the game. We didn't score, but we played well overall.

“I think we will win games because of the kind of play that we have, and that’s what happened. We're not feeling super confident right now, which is clear.

“But, I think it’s mostly a confidence thing. And the only way to fix that is to win the next game.”

Howe said this: “It was a huge win for us. I don't think it matters how we got it. We just needed to get it.

“We started really strong, knowing how crucial this game was. I can’t say enough about how the players fought through it.

“That second half was significant for us. We had to make it.

“I give the players credit for finishing the game and showing the team's character.”

Newcastle United now has a few days to chill after the win at Turf Moor before heading back to Tyneside for four home games in a row. First up is Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Sunday. After that, they’re up against Daniel Farke’s Leeds United at St. James’ Park on Wednesday, January 7.

Then, they’ve got two cup games against Premier League teams. They’re hosting Bournemouth in the FA Cup and then playing the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Manchester City.

EDDIE HOWE ADDRESSES ALAN SHEARER’S COMMENTS BEFORE TONIGHT’S MAJOR KICKOFF AT BURNLEY

Alan Shearer sets a massive challenge for Newcastle United: win the next four games to ignite their 2026 Premier League campaign.

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Alan Shearer Wants Eddie Howe To Stay Until The Summer.

Before tonight's game against Burnley, Alan Shearer told Newcastle United what he wants to see in the next month.

Newcastle is currently 14th in the Premier League, which isn't good enough, but there's still a lot of the season left.

Even though Eddie Howe isn't in danger of losing his job, people are still worried about how the team is playing.

Another loss at Burnley on Tuesday would really increase the pressure. Alan Shearer thinks this game could be the start of something better.

Newcastle United Needs to Win Their Next Four Games

On Match of the Day, the Newcastle United legend sounded positive about the team's next few games and & thinks this could turn their season around.

He said, Yes, this could change things. A few weeks ago, everyone thought Fulham would get demoted, but they've won three straight games, and & now they're in the top half.

Newcastle needs to do that. Their next four games are against Burnley, Palace, Leeds, and Wolves. They have a good chance to win some.

These four league games are part of a busy January for Newcastle, with important Champions League matches against PSV Eindhoven and PSG and an FA Cup game against Bournemouth, as well as the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final versus Man City.

This period of games could really make or break Newcastle's season.

He should stay until the end of the season so everyone can make a better decision instead of rushing into anything. Hopefully, there will be more choices to replace him by the summer.

Where Newcastle Could Be If They Win

Let's say Newcastle wins all four of their games. It might happen, but those 12 points might just push Newcastle to just outside the top five or six in the league.

Aston Villa could get no points during that time and still be ahead of Newcastle before they play each other at the end of January. That shows how far apart Newcastle and Aston Villa are this season.

Still, getting to 35 points before the end of next month would really help Newcastle. The teams above them will probably also get points, so Newcastle might not move up the table much, but it's important for them to catch up to their rivals soon.

Premier League Standings

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