Who happened to one day wake up in the body of a giraffe from northern Germany… | OneFootball

This is excellent analysis on Nick Woltemade.

It comes following the 3-0 Champions League victory over Benfica.

Nick Woltemade didn’t score a goal or even get an assist, however, he still played a big part in the win.

This simply continues what we have all seen so far, a striker who we knew little/nothing about, but who has been a massive surprise, in the best possible way.

Some cracking points made below, but maybe this is the stand out line from the analysis, that Nick Woltemade “…plays like he is a 5″8 creative playmaker who just happened to one day wake up in the body of a giraffe from northern Germany.”

Some superb analysis on Nick Woltemade from TNT Sports journalist Pete Sharland, following the 3-0 win over Benfica:

‘If the initial hypothesis for not comparing Woltemade to Isak was because of the history Isak had as a Newcastle striker, then what has proven to be the case is that we cannot compare Woltemade to Isak because it doesn’t feel as if you can actually really compare him to anyone.

The phrase “great feet for a big man” has been a cliché for many years, and often it is used to describe players who are maybe a little more technical than you’d expect, but nothing special.

Woltemade is nothing like that. He plays like he is a 5″8 creative playmaker who just happened to one day wake up in the body of a giraffe from northern Germany.

Obviously nothing shows this better than his cute little backheel to Anthony Gordon in the build-up for the final Newcastle goal against Benfica

If Andres Iniesta or, dare we say, Lionel Messi, did that people get excited and move on. Watching someone with the frame of Woltemade do it is like a religious experience.

You can see from his pass map [against Benfica] how he moves around the pitch, be it going wider or going deeper.

The idea that, because he is big, he needs to bully the centre-backs and be a target in the box and nothing else almost seems comical when you watch what he’s capable of.’

What has irritated me in particular, is the lazy comparisons to Peter Crouch. Crouch was a decent player and very good in the air, but whilst they are similar heights, Nick Woltemade is more in proportion and athletic. Peter Crouch did have a nice touch at times but the Germany international doesn’t just have a superb touch, he also runs with the ball and beats opponents with trickery and opens up games.