The German media has given their verdict on Newcastle United star Nick Woltemade’s performance in Germany’s 4-0 win over Luxembourg.
The October international break couldn’t have come at a worse time for Newcastle United, with Eddie Howe’s team just starting to build momentum after a tricky start.
Lewis Miley has already suffered a minor injury and Eddie Howe will be hoping none of his other nine internationals will pick up a knock over the next week.
The manager will also want his players to continue their budding form and he’ll be happy to see Bruno Guimaraes pull off an amazing assist for Brazil and Anthony Gordon impressing for England.
Things haven’t gone quite as well for Nick Woltemade, though, who has now failed to score in his first five games for Germany, who defeated Luxembourg 4-0 on Friday.
Julian Nagelsmann has moved to defend Woltemade, but the German press have assessed his performance in the World Cup qualifier.
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German media give verdict on Nick Woltemade performance
Woltemade played an hour in the victory and did have a goal ruled out for handball after just four minutes.
However, his display was below the level he has been showing at Newcastle since his £69m transfer as his wait for a first international goal goes on.
Here’s what some German publications made of his display:
Bild: “Things were going well for Newcastle recently, and he continued to be only partially successful for the national team.
“In the fourth minute, he was congratulated for practically shoving the ball into the net, but unfortunately, he used his arm, and the goal was disallowed by VAR. He’s still waiting for his first international goal.
“He often moved the ball well, but rarely found himself in dangerous situations. Grade 3.”
Der Spiegel: “At the last international match in Cologne, the crowd booed him, and in Sinsheim, he received applause when he was substituted.
“However, he didn’t manage to score any more than he did recently in a German national team jersey.
“He had a hand on the ball during what appeared to be the opening goal. He also missed a great opportunity. Overall, an unfortunate performance. He’s still waiting for his first goal for the national team.”
Buli News: “You can see that he tried very hard to have an impact on the game, but he sadly feels detached from the rest of the team in too many situations.
“Should’ve scored from Wirtz’s pass in the 33rd minute. On the other hand, his movement in the game allowed Wirtz, Adeyemi and especially Gnabry to exploit the gaps in Luxembourg’s defence.
“Woltemade’s first goal for Germany is coming soon. 5/10.”
Suddeutsche Zeitung: “Woltemade played a somewhat unfortunate role in the centre of attack.
“He rarely got a foot on the ball, showing some of his strong form at Newcastle United. Nagelsmann substituted him after an hour.”
Flu could explain Nick Woltemade’s quiet performance
Woltemade’s struggling performance, especially against such a weak opponent, is concerning for Germany and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge may be happy that he has been given the chance to justify his comments on the striker.
However, his display is nothing for Newcastle to really worry about and the explanation is obvious.
After the Nottingham Forest victory, in which he scored a great penalty, Woltemade was struck down by the flu.
The giant German didn’t even meet up with the national squad on Monday as scheduled due to the illness, only arriving late on Tuesday, with it still not clear if he would train.
Despite being a major doubt, Woltemade still returned to action and ensured he was available to start the game, showing admirable commitment.
But if the lingering effects of the flu made him sluggish on the pitch, then that’s understandable.
Woltemade will be hoping for the chance to finally break his duck when Germany play Northern Ireland in Belfast on Monday in a massive fixture in Group A.
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