Nagelsmann backs Woltemade as he lowers expectations | OneFootball

Julian Nagelsmann shared his strong opinions about several German youngsters in his interview with Kicker, but he went for a restricted tone regarding Nick Woltemade. The Newcastle United striker is struggling with a dip in performance after a solid start to life in the Premier League.

“He’s a young player who needs time to develop, as you can see now in Newcastle,“ said Nagelsmann when the question turned to the lanky striker who now has to settle for a role in midfield under Eddie Howe.

“So I don’t expect him to score 15 goals for Newcastle, and then lead us to a World Cup victory. Of course, he’s welcome to do that, but it would be extraordinary. I told him only last week that he needs to stay relaxed. We trust in him.“

Including against league leaders Arsenal, Woltemade scored in four of his first five Premier League appearances. However, he has only found the net in two league games since then, while going scoreless in his last eight Champions League appearances, despite Newcastle’s excellent record in the competition.