Eddie Howe says whether he will change Newcastle United’s formation for Nick Woltemade

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Newcastle United have signed a gem in Nick Woltemade, and it is up to Eddie Howe to get the best out of him.

The 23-year-old has been impressive since arriving on Tyneside. Woltemade enjoyed a dream debut, while he has shown flashes of excellence in his other three appearances.

He helped Anthony Gordon score against Barcelona, while he was incredibly creative in the win over Bradford City.

Woltemade looks like he will set up more goals than he will score, suggesting that he could play in a deeper role as an attacking midfielder for Newcastle United.

However, Eddie Howe has disputed this suggestion.

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Eddie Howe sees Nick Woltemade as a number nine for Newcastle United

Speaking ahead of Newcastle United vs Arsenal, Howe was asked whether he sees Woltemade as more of a ‘number 10’ player than an out-and-out striker.

“It’s difficult to see him as a 10 seeing as we don’t play with someone in that position,” he said.

“I see him as a nine. But as a nine who plays it slightly differently to other nines that we might have had in the past. You can’t compare Nick to Callum Wilson for example, they are two totally different profiles of player. But it doesn’t mean they can’t both be effective.

“It’s utilising the players to their strengths and getting the players to understand where Nick wants the ball and how he plays.

“I was really impressed with him on Wednesday. I thought he did really well in a short period of time, showed his creative flair and linked play really, really well.”

Why Nick Woltemade does not wear the number nine shirt at Newcastle United

While Howe sees Woltemade as a number nine, that is only in the way that he plays.

The Germany international actually turned down the opportunity to be Newcastle’s actual number nine, which was available to him following Callum Wilson’s departure.

However, Woltemade chose the number 27 shirt as it is the date of his mother’s birth.

Instead, Yoane Wissa became Newcastle’s number nine when he joined the club on transfer deadline day. He arrives as a more traditional striker compared to Woltemade, and it will be interesting to see how they play together when given the opportunity.

That will not happen until after the next international break, as Wissa is injured. The hope is that he can return in time for Newcastle’s Premier League clash with Brighton on 18th October.

Wissa’s injury has been frustrating, but it has given Toon fans the chance to see more of their record signing than anticipated.

Howe is certainly pleased with Woltemade, but there appears to be no plans to change his position and tweak the Magpies’ formation.