Nick Woltemade already doing the Newcastle squad a massive favour, it’s ridiculous

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Nick Woltemade is performing from an impossible position for Newcastle United and the rest of the squad owe him. 

To pretend the adaptation period for Newcastle United from Alexander Isak to Woltemade is going well just because the German has scored two goals would be wrong. 

The attacking unit as a whole just isn’t clicking, meaning his two goals don’t really make up for the shortfall elsewhere right now.

Indeed, it’s not just about the goals. Newcastle, for large periods of most games this season, have looked pretty listless in attack.

Still, Woltemade is stepping up. From two real chances in his four outings thus far, he’s scored twice.  

The rest of the Newcastle United squad should be thanking him. They’re not exactly helping.

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Newcastle United teammates are letting Nick Woltemade down  

Fellow attackers Harvey Barnes, Anthony Gordon and Anthony Elanga have not chipped in. Aside from Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and William Osula, no one has, and four of their six collective goals came in the Carabao Cup against League One side Bradford.

Clearly, Newcastle have been hampered by Yoane Wissa’s knee injury. That, however, is not an excuse that can last forever.  

Woltemade is doing his bit in very testing circumstances. Digs about his price tag from his native Germany cannot help, as well as constant suggestions that he’s not a traditional centre-forward.  

His two headers to date suggest he is well-suited to that role. Granted, there are still teething problems, but he’s filling his end of the bargain. He’s having to adapt to life in a new league, score goals, have his minutes managed and read about how obscene his price tag was from prominent figures in the German media.

Newcastle need more from their other attacking options. Elanga is yet to catch fire, while Gordon and Barnes look way off it. Woltemade can only do so much and, frankly, what he already has contributed amid testing circumstances has been mightily impressive. 

For all the doubts about his transfer fee and his suitability as an orthodox striker, Woltemade, and perhaps Jacob Murphy, are the only Newcastle forwards doing their jobs right now.

Gordon, Elanga, Barnes, Guimaraes and Joelinton all need to be contributing more. It’s ridiculous to need to rely on Woltemade alone given the near-impossible position he’s in right now.  

Nick Woltemade is proving lethal so far this season

From four shots this season, Woltemade has scored two goals.

While these are early days in the 2025/26 season, it currently makes him the joint-most efficient player in the Premier League. 

That’s not to say he cannot improve, of course he can. But that is also true of the others in the squad.

Woltemade’s goals and the debate over his comparisons with Isak are hogging the attention at the moment. The rest of the attacking line cannot hide behind it forever.