Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United concern after 'incredible' Nick Woltemade moment
Nick Woltemade scored again for Newcastle United but it wasn’t enough to get a result at Brighton.
Eddie Howe admits he is concerned about Newcastle United’s over-reliance on Nick Woltemade.
Woltemade scored his fifth goal for the Magpies following his £69million club-record transfer from Stuttgart during Saturday’s 2-1 defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Danny Welbeck opened the scoring for Brighton in the first half before Woltemade produced a stunning flicked finish from Lewis Miley’s cross to bring Newcastle level in the 76th minute.
But the scoreline was level for just eight minutes as Welbeck scored his second to inflict a third Premier League defeat of the season on United.
Since moving to Tyneside, Woltemade has scored four of Newcastle’s five goals. Howe admitted other players need to chip in with goals as they look to turn around their Premier League form, with just two wins and three draws from eight games putting them 12th in the table.
Eddie Howe admits Newcastle United attacking concerns
Asked about the reliance on Woltemade, Howe said: “Yeah, that would be a concern for us. We can't rely on any one individual. I think we've always historically been a team that scored a lot of goals. We've had goals from different areas. We've never been reliant on any one player.
“Nick's done really well and we're delighted for him. We wanted to keep scoring, of course, but we need more from the other areas of the team. I thought there were chances there for us today, especially in the second half. There was a good attacking display, albeit we weren't clinical enough.”
Howe added: “I don't think it's a case of do one thing and suddenly goals come back to the team. I think it's a case of individuals performing at their highest level and I think if you get that, you're going to score goals, as we did at Union, where everyone stepped up and played really, really well in the Champions League.
“And we look like a free-flowing attacking team that can be at its very best again, so that's the challenge for us to get back to that level. And we need to do it quickly.”
Eddie Howe on ‘incredible’ Nick Woltemade goal v Brighton
Commenting on Woltemade’s goal at the Amex Stadium, Howe said: “Yeah, it's not your sort of classic centre-forward goal. It's one that he has the ability to do these things. He's a very good, sort of instinctive player in those moments.
“It was an incredible goal and he had other chances as well. It was good to see him be an aerial threat in the box from crosses. And I thought his overall game was very strong today. I thought he played very well. But we do need goals and creation from the other players too.”